What can I do to forget the love between us
by Selene13
Summary: *Completed* Professor McGonagall dreamed about the past, her first love and heartbreak. MM/AD and a little H/Hr in the beginning and the end. R/R please!
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Professor Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Harry Potter..all that you recognize belongs to J.K Rowling.  
  
Chapter 1  
  
'What a day' Professor McGonagall thought as she walked into her bedroom in her tartan nightgown at 1am, after sending all the Gryffindor students back to their beds.  
  
Gryffindor had won the Qudditch Cup for the 4th time, thanks to Harry Potter and his Firebolt. The opposing House, Slytherin, lost terribly to Gryffindor by the score 20-200 and to Professor McGonagall's delight, the Slytherin House Master, Professor Severus Snape, didn't look happy with the results at all. Oh well, it serves him right for gloating over Slytherin's huge victory over Gryffindor so much in front of her six years ago.  
  
The Gryffindors, of course, were very joyous and they celebrated their victory in the Gryffindor common room after the match. They made so much noises that they woke the Slytherins, who were very bitter about their defeat. They complained to Professor Snape and Snape banged on Professor McGonagall's door, saying that her "annoying lions" were trying to wake all the people in Hogwarts. She glared at Snape and said that his "precious snakes" were making too much fuss over a little noise but she took her words back when she went to the Gryffindor common room to check them in case Snape and his snakes were correct. In the end she told them to get to bed otherwise 10 points will be taken off from Gryffindor. Snape was outside the common room, listening to every single word Professor McGonagall had said.  
  
"You should have taken those points off Gryffindor. At least the Slytherins can be happy over this." Snape said bitterly as Professor McGonagall came out of the quiet Gryffindor common room.  
  
"Shut up, Severus, I am the head of this house, not you." She snapped. Snape raised his eyebrows. "That's just an suggestion, why are you so angry for?" "Nothing." She snapped again, left Snape and back to her bedroom.  
  
Professor McGonagall climbed into bed, thinking about what she saw in the Gryffindor common room: Dean Thomas kicking a book in the air, showing Ron Weasley how the muggles play soccer, Seamus Finnigan and Neville Longbottom playing Exploding Snap, Parvati Patil, Lavender Brown and Ginny Weasley were listening and dancing to some muggle music, which were playing loudly on a muggle record player. (Great Wizards know where did they get that record player from) and Hermione Granger was wiping cake stains off Harry's cheek. Harry was smiling and then both of them were gazing at each other lovingly.  
  
Professor McGonagall sighed. Hermione's actions were familiar. Too familiar. She had done that herself, to someone many years ago.  
  
'Oh stop it, Minerva; you are making yourself miserable by just thinking of him,' she scolded herself. 'Go to sleep.' She closed her eyes and felt herself drifting off to sleep. 


	2. The Sorting Ceremony

Disclaimer: Aidoneus Malfoy, Don Weasley, William Potter.all Dumbledore and McGonagall's schoolmates, (except for Madam Hooch and Professor Sprouts) belongs to me. The rest belongs to J.K Rowling.  
  
Chap 2: The Sorting Ceremony  
  
"Hey, Dumbledore!" Someone yelled. Albus Dumbledore, a young boy at the age of 16 with blue eyes and auburn hair looked up from where he was sitting at the Gryffindor's long table in the Great Hall.  
  
"Yes, Malfoy?" Aidoneus Malfoy was a boy with short and well-groomed silvery blond hair, beautiful icy blue eyes and a pale handsome face. Malfoy smiled.  
  
"Oh nothing, nothing at all, just want to ask you if you had seen any pretty girls in summer. Oh my gosh!" He said in fake surprise. "I have forgotten that the Gryffindor boys are homosexual. They won't be interested in girls."  
  
Don Weasley, a tall thin boy with red hair and brown eyes, who was sitting beside Dumbledore stood up quickly and faced Malfoy angrily. "Say that again, Malfoy!"  
  
"Why? Did I say it wrong? You Gryffindor boys never interact with girls, not even once. Take a look at your sitting arrangement. You boys are sitting at one end of the table while the girls," Malfoy pointed at the direction where the Gryffindor girls were. "are sitting at the other end."  
  
Don was thinking a smart comment when William Potter, a boy with messy black hair and blue eyes, suddenly piped up: "We are just too shy around girls, that's all. Unlike someone, we don't have serious cases of narcissism in the Gryffindor house."  
  
The Gryffindor boys laughed as Malfoy blushed furiously. He recovered quickly. " If you are asking for a fight, Potter." William stood up with his fists clenched.  
  
"All right, boys break it up, break it up! I don't want fights between Gryffindor and Slytherin at the first day of school. Professor Isidis, the Transfiguration teacher and the head of Gryffindor house rushed to them and pulled them apart.  
  
"Get back to your seat, Mr. Malfoy." Malfoy glared at Professor Isidis and then at William.  
  
"Just you wait, Potter." He hissed angrily before storming back to his seat at the Slytherin table.  
  
"Phew, that was close. I don't want any points to be taken off Gryffindor." Nicholas Longbottom, a round-faced boy with glasses said as Malfoy went back to his seat, looking as if he was thinking of something. "What do you think Malfoy is thinking?" He said to William.  
  
William shrugged. "Who cares? Hey, Albus, what kind of first-year students do you expect in Gryffindor this year?"  
  
"The same. Brave and nice." Dumbledore said in a boring tone.  
  
"Well, let's see what you think of them, because here they comes now with Professor Dippet."  
  
Professor Dippet, the assistant Headmaster, walked into the Great Hall with the first-years, who were staring with their mouths dropped open at the enchanted ceiling. Dippet left for a moment and came back with a stool and the Sorting Hat. He put the Sorting Hat on the stool and Dumbledore's friends rolled their eyes as the Sorting Hat started singing its song that was sang every year. When it stopped, Dippet started to call out names.  
  
"Sam Snape!" A boy with short greasy hair stepped out.  
  
"Slytherin!" The Sorting Hat called and the Slytherins began to cheer.  
  
"Great, now they have one more Slytherin to get us." Don grumbled.  
  
"Georgia Sprouts!" A plump girl with auburn hair stepped out nervously.  
  
"Hufflepuff!"  
  
"Peter Clearwater!"  
  
"Ravenclaw!"  
  
"He doesn't look smart to me," William commented. "where are the Gryffindors?"  
  
"Madeline Hooch!"  
  
"Whoa! Look at that girl's eyes! Incredible! I don't know anyone with yellow eyes." Nicholas exclaimed.  
  
"Gryffindor!"  
  
"Where are the boys?!" Don asked as the rest of the Gryffindor cheered.  
  
"Robert Lupin!" A boy with board shoulders and dark brown hair stepped out.  
  
"Gryffindor!"  
  
"YES! One boy to fight against the Slytherins." Don said.  
  
"Joe Black!" Another strong-looking boy with dark blond hair stepped out.  
  
"Gryffindor!"  
  
"Make that two more strong boys to fight against the Slytherins." William said as he gave a high-five to Don.  
  
"Daisy Brown!" A beautiful girl with chestnut-brown hair stepped out. She wore the hat and he paused for a while.  
  
"Ah! You want to be in Gryffindor because the young man Albus Dumbledore is there, right? He is a very nice boy, good grades, good heart.." The Sorting Hat rattled on loudly. The girl blushed deeply and pulled the hat lower as the Slytherins laughed. Dumbledore raised his eyebrows; he doesn't know that he is well known outside Hogwarts.  
  
"Doesn't the Sorting Hat ever learn to keep his mouth shut? Look at that poor girl! And Malfoy!" Nicholas pointed to Malfoy, who was laughing loudly with the rest of the Slytherins. Lawrence Brown shifted himself to Dumbledore and whispered: "Sorry, Albus, I think I speak too highly of you to my sister Daisy in the holidays." The Hat stopped talking and thought deeply.  
  
"Very well, Gryffindor!" The Gryffindors clapped as Malfoy yelled: "Here she comes, Dumbledore!"  
  
"Minerva McGonagall!" A pretty girl with wavy black hair stepped out.  
  
"Whoa, look at that girl, she's beautiful. Too bad there is no house on beauty. And she looks smart too, maybe she will be in Ravenclaw. She won't get into Slytherin, that's for sure. Or maybe she will be Hufflepuff, she looks nice enough.." Don commented.  
  
"Don, who is the one doing the sorting here? You or that hat?" William asked.  
  
"Yeah, and don't judge people by their appearance." Dumbledore said.  
  
Minerva sat on the stool as Dippet put the hat on her. The hat thought deeply. "Hmm, difficult, very difficult. I can see enough courage; you have a very good heart and mind.where to put you? Hufflepuff, Gryffindor of Ravenclaw? Hmm.let's see.. Well, your destiny awaits you in Gry.."  
  
"Wait, I don't believe in destiny." Minerva said quickly. "Trust me, I am better than any other fortune tellers. Gryffindor!"  
  
The Sorting Ceremony ended a few minutes later. Just when William tried to stand up and follow Dumbledore, the Prefect this year, to their common room after the feast, he felt his legs were completely locked with each other.  
  
"Guys! Give me a hand over here! Something is wrong with my legs!" Dumbledore rushed to him and stared at his legs.  
  
"I know this, it is the Leg-Locker curse." William groaned.  
  
"Thanks a lot, Albus."  
  
"Who did this?!" Don asked when he heard Malfoy laughing. He turned and saw Aidoneus stuffing his wand under his robes and he was smirking at William.  
  
"Let me go, I want to punch that limey bastard!" Don yelled as Dumbledore try to hold him back.  
  
"It is not wise to punch him! You will get a detention for that!" Don sat down beside William, fuming. Dumbledore took out his wand.  
  
"Hold still, William, I am going to do the counter curse." He waved his wand and released William from his curse. His actions received loud applause from the Gryffindor girls and William stood up perfectly.  
  
"My hero!" He said in a high-pitched voice.  
  
"Cut it out, William!" Dumbledore laughed and he saw Minerva smiling at him. He blushed a little and smiled back. 


	3. Dare

Disclaimer: Aidoneus Malfoy, Don Weasley, William Potter.all Dumbledore and McGonagall's schoolmates and teachers, (except for young Madam Hooch, young Professor Sprouts and Professor Dippet) belongs to me. The rest belongs to J.K Rowling.  
  
Chapter 3: Dare  
  
The next day, Dumbledore was sitting with some of his friends in the Great Hall eating breakfast when Jonathan Wood came to the Hall in quick steps.  
  
"Ah! All of you are here, good!"  
  
"What is it, Wood?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"Can all of you spare some time for a game now?" Wood asked.  
  
"What game, Qudditch?" Don asked with his mouth full of pumpkin tarts.  
  
"No," Wood said as he sat down beside William. "it is a muggle game called Truth or Dare. You picked a person and asked him "Truth or Dare". If he said Truth, you can ask him any questions about himself and he must tell the truth. If he said Dare, you can dare him to do something embarrassing. After he's done, he will pick the person beside him. So are you guys able to play this?"  
  
All the Gryffindor boys looked at Dumbledore, who was looking at his watch, which has 12 needles, no numbers and some tiny stars moving around the edges. He looked up.  
  
"Sure, why not? We still have some time before our first lessons." He smiled.  
  
"All right, I am the starter of this game. Don, you go first. Truth or Dare?" Wood asked and all the boys turned to Don.  
  
Don swallowed his pumpkin tarts. ". Truth."  
  
"All right, describe one funny incident that you once encountered."  
  
Don frowned.  
  
"Is it a secret? Don't worry, we won't tell anyone." Wood whispered.  
  
"All right." Don said as all the boys leaned forward to listen.  
  
"All right, this is about Aidoneus Malfoy." He said. "I was on the way to the Qudditch stadium to see a Qudditch match when I saw Malfoy alone in the Great Hall.."  
  
"What? What is he doing?!" Nicholas asked eagerly.  
  
"Writing a love poem, to Professor Adara, in fact!"  
  
The boys stared with their mouths dropped open. "Professor Adara?! The pretty Charms teacher who used to be in Slytherin when she is younger?!"  
  
Don nodded excitedly. "I even saw what he had written, he didn't even notice me when I was practically breathing down his neck! He wrote: Her eyes are as blue as the night sky, her hair is as gold as the sun, and her beauty can be competing with the Goddess Aphrodite. Who is she? Andromeda Adara. I run off before he noticed me."  
  
The boys burst out laughing. "Great! We can blackmail him for that!" Joe said excitedly. After what had Malfoy done to Potter yesterday, he doesn't like Malfoy much now. Wood nodded and laughed as the same time.  
  
"All right, Albus, Truth or Dare?" Don asked.  
  
"I choose..Dare. It's good to try something new."  
  
"All right, I dare you to.." Don looked around and saw Minerva waving goodbye to Madeline Hooch, Daisy Brown and Georgia Sprouts. They left Minerva sitting alone at the end of the Gryffindor table. ".Ah! Go and eat breakfast with Minerva McGonagall."  
  
Dumbledore frowned. "But Gryffindor boys never interact with the girls, we are too young for boy-girl relationships! And."  
  
"Whoa! Slow down! What are you talking about? I did not dare you to kiss her, just eat breakfast with her and talk to her. You know, be friends."  
  
Dumbledore stared at all the eager faces. "All right, just once." He said, standing up.  
  
"WOOHOO!!!" The boys called out. Dumbledore stared at them and they shut up.  
  
Dumbledore walked slowly to Minerva and looked uncertainly at the seat across Minerva's seat. She was reading her Transfiguration book.  
  
"Hi." Minerva looked up and smiled shyly.  
  
"May.may I sit here? The boys' end of the table is full."  
  
She looked confused. "I thought the Gryffindor boys never interact with the girls. The Gryffindor girls said so last night.  
  
Before Dumbledore could think of a good answer, she said: "Sit down."  
  
Dumbledore smiled nervously and sat down. "Thanks. I suppose I have not introduced myself yet. I am Albus Dumbledore."  
  
Minerva smiled. "I know. You are quite famous among the girls."  
  
"I am?"  
  
"Yes. I am Minerva McGonagall."  
  
"Pleased to meet you. You like Transfigurations?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Transfigurations is pretty interesting, But I like Muggle Studies too."  
  
"Really? What's it like?"  
  
"Albus should be coming back by now." Wood said as he looked at his watch.  
  
"Why should he?" Nicholas asked.  
  
"HELLO! There are other people here who want to play this game. We can't continue if he doesn't come back." Wood said impatiently as he glared at his watch. "What the hell are Albus and McGonagall talking about?! They have been talking for ½ hour!"  
  
"Yeah, if he keep on talking, we are going to be late for the Care For Magical Creatures," William said. "All right, that's it. We are going to drag him to our class. Come on, guys." He stood up with the rest of the 6th year boys and marched to the other end of the table.  
  
"Do you like Qudditch?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"Oh yes, I am a died-hard Qudditch fan." Minerva admitted.  
  
"It is a very interesting game, isn't it?  
  
"Albus, it's time for our class." William interrupted.  
  
"Just a minute while I discuss Qudditch to Minerva." Dumbledore said quickly.  
  
"ALBUS!" The boys yelled.  
  
"Why don't we talk later during lunch time? Both of us will be late if we continue like this." Minerva smiled.  
  
"All right, see you later, Minerva!" Dumbledore said as he stood up and was practically dragged out of the Great Hall by the boys.  
  
"I shouldn't let you to take that stupid dare." Don mumbled. 


	4. Care For Magical Creatures and Herbology

Disclaimer: Aidoneus Malfoy, Don Weasley, William Potter.all Dumbledore and McGonagall's schoolmates and teachers, (except for young Madam Hooch, young Professor Sprouts and Professor Dippet) belongs to me. The rest belongs to J.K Rowling.  
  
Chapter 4: Care For Magical Creatures and Herbology  
  
Dumbledore and the rest of the 6th year Gryffindors' next lesson is the Care For Magical Creatures lesson, together with the Slytherins. As Professor Perseus Jupiter, a handsome young man with gold hair and blue eyes, went to get the Hippogriffs for them, Malfoy walked to Dumbledore with an unpleasant look on his face. "Is it true then? That you actually went to chat with a Gryffindor girl?"  
  
Dumbledore didn't respond.  
  
"What a big surprise! This will probably goes down in the History of Magic years later! I can see the words now: Albus Dumbledore, the leader of the Gryffindor boys, never talks to girls. But today, he breaks his rule!" Malfoy teased unmercifully while the Slytherin boys snickered.  
  
"Can we use the blackmail scheme now?" Nicholas asked Wood.  
  
Wood nodded and grinned. "Oh look! It's Professor Adara!" He yelled and pointed towards the castle.  
  
Malfoy stopped teasing and looked around excitedly. "Where?!" He realized what he was doing and stopped.  
  
"What's the matter, Malfoy? Why are you so excited for?" William asked innocently.  
  
Malfoy turned red.  
  
"Is Aidoneus Malfoy, leader of the Slytherin boys, has a crush on Professor Adara?" Don asked loudly.  
  
All the students had different reactions: Gryffindors boys: trying to keep a straight face. Gryffindor girls: Neutral. Slytherins boys: gaped at their leader. Slytherins girls: gasped in horror.  
  
Malfoy's face turned into a darker shade of red, he quickly went back to his place and was surrounded by the Slytherins with their hundreds of questions routine.  
  
"OH SHUT THE BLOODY HELL UP!" Malfoy yelled.  
  
The Gryffindor boys finally went down with laughter. "Great! Now we can use Professor Adara for protection!" Nicholas said happily.  
  
"All right, class! Pay attention here!" Professor Jupiter said as he led a couple of Hippogriffs out.  
  
  
  
While the 6th year Gryffindors were having Care For Magical Creatures, the 1st year Gryffindors were having Herbology.  
  
Minerva was listening to Professor Rose talking about useful muggle plants when Madeline Hooch, who was sitting beside her, whispered: "Is it true?"  
  
"Is what true?" Minerva asked back.  
  
"That Albus Dumbledore actually talks to you?"  
  
"Well, yes."  
  
Madeline stared at her with her yellow eyes widened.  
  
"What?" Minerva asked again.  
  
"But Dumbledore never chats with girls before, not even once! He thinks that he should be focusing on his studies first, and then he moves on to relationships, so he never talks to girls. I heard these from the 6th year girls."  
  
Minerva frowned. "That's weird."  
  
Madeline nodded. "I know, but it works, now he has very good grades in every subjects. Because he has more time than the other Houses' boys who are fooling with girls and he use those time for studying. The Gryffindor boys follow his style because they notice how effective it is. Now all the older Gryffindor boys have grades that leveled with Ravenclaw boys."  
  
"Oh. So I am the first girl that he ever talks to?"  
  
Madeline nodded and they saw the girls sitting across them pointing and giggling at something behind them. "What are they looking at?" Madeline asked as she and Minerva turned around. And they saw the 6th year Gryffindor students attending their Care For Magical Creatures lesson outside the Green House. Albus Dumbledore was listening to Professor Jupiter attentively.  
  
"Oh, him. You know, even if he doesn't talks to girls, they always attract to him. I wonder why." Madeline said as the girls giggled. "Hey, pipe down, we don't want any points to be take off from Gryffindor." She hissed and went back to her work.  
  
Dumbledore was listening to Professor Jupiter when he felt that someone was looking at him. He looked around and saw looking at him. He grinned and waved at her. She hesitated whether to wave back. The girls across the table were already staring at her as if she suddenly had grown leaves out of her head. 'Why not? There is no denial that Albus and I are friends.' She thought, smiled at Dumbledore and waved back. The girls gasped.  
  
"Miss McGonagall, are you listening?"  
  
Uh oh. Minerva turned to look at Professor Rose. Dumbledore struck out his tongue and looked panic.  
  
"Uh, yes. Professor." Minerva lied.  
  
"Well, can you tell me what does the latex of the muggle plant Angsana for?"  
  
Minerva thought hard.  
  
"It's used for native medicine in the muggle world." Madeline hissed.  
  
"Oh! It's used for native medicine in the muggle world." Minerva answered.  
  
"Very good, 5 points to Gryffindor."  
  
The class clapped loudly.  
  
Minerva whispered. "Thanks."  
  
"Don't mention it." Madeline smiled. 


	5. Lunch Time and a Title

Disclaimer: Aidoneus Malfoy, Don Weasley, William Potter.all Dumbledore and McGonagall's schoolmates and teachers, (except for young Madam Hooch, young Professor Sprouts and Professor Dippet) belongs to me. The rest belongs to J.K Rowling.  
  
Chap 5: Lunchtime and a title  
  
When lunchtime finally arrived, Dumbledore arrived to the Great Hall with his gang when he saw Minerva sitting at the girls' end of the Gryffindor table alone. Madeline Hooch was talking to other girls at the further end.  
  
"Just a minute guys, I am going to apologize to Minerva for distracting her during lessons. I will join you later." Dumbledore said and walked to Minerva.  
  
"I doubt that he will come back." Robert Lupin said to Joe Black as Dumbledore walked off.  
  
Minerva was reading her Transfigurations textbook again. Dumbledore walked to her slowly as she was the Manticore.  
  
"Minerva?"  
  
Minerva didn't look up. Madeline saw him from where she was and frowned. What was he doing there?  
  
"I am sorry for distracting you during your lesson. Is Professor Rose mad?"  
  
She turned a page of the textbook and still didn't respond.  
  
"I am really sorry!"  
  
"Did you apologize because you want to give the teachers a good impression?" She asked without looking up.  
  
Dumbledore frowned. "That's insulting! No, I apologize to you because I think I owe you one."  
  
Minerva didn't respond again.  
  
"All right, maybe I should explain to Professor Rose." Dumbledore said and started to march to the staff table.  
  
"Wait, wait! Albus, don't!" Minerva exclaimed as she stood up and caught hold of his arm. "It's all right! Professor Rose isn't mad?"  
  
"She isn't? What about you?"  
  
She smiled and shook her head.  
  
He grinned. "I am sorry."  
  
"You have apologized for 3 times, now sit down." She ordered.  
  
"All right, where did we stop just now? Ah yes, Qudditch." Dumbledore said he sat down.  
  
The boys watched as Dumbledore sat down. "See, I told you that he wouldn't be coming back." Robert said to Joe.  
  
"What's so good about girls anyway?" Wood grumbled.  
  
"Have you seen the school stadium yet?" Dumbledore asked as he took a pumpkin tart from the table.  
  
"Yes, it is pretty impressive." Minerva said as she took a sip from her glass of pumpkin juice.  
  
"You will be more impress if you see the Qudditch match in there." Dumbledore said after he swallowed his tart.  
  
"Great! When is the Qudditch match?"  
  
"Next month. And it is Gryffindor versus Slytherin! Minerva, do you want to sit with me during the match?"  
  
"No thanks, I want to sit with Madeline, Daisy and Georgia."  
  
"Oh." Dumbledore looked a little disappointed and recovered as quick as lightning. "Never mind, I need to spend some time with the boys too."  
  
"So! Together again, isn't it?!" A nasty voice boomed out. Dumbledore rolled his eyes. Not Malfoy again.  
  
The Gryffindor boys froze as they saw Malfoy with Dumbledore and Minerva.  
  
"What is he going to do?" Wood whispered to Don.  
  
"Searches me, if he going to do something nasty, we are going to use Professor Adara again." Don whispered back.  
  
"I don't think Malfoy is stupid enough to fall for that again." Wood said.  
  
Minerva frowned. "What do you want Malfoy?"  
  
"Nothing, just checking what are you and Albus doing." Malfoy smiled unpleasantly.  
  
"Well, we can't do anything while you are here so can you go back to the snake pit where you belong?" Albus snapped.  
  
The Gryffindor boys stared with their mouths opened at Dumbledore. He had never snapped at anyone before, not even when he was in a grouchy mood.  
  
Malfoy stared at Dumbledore with his mouth opened. He closed it again and smiled. "Why should I? So that you two can kiss?"  
  
Dumbledore frowned deeply and when he just about to stand up to tell Malfoy off, Minerva grabbed her pumpkin juice and splashed its content to Malfoy's face.  
  
The Gryffindor boys exclaimed in shock when they saw what Minerva had done.  
  
Minerva slammed the glass down. "Get back to your snake pit, bastard." She hissed angrily.  
  
Malfoy gaped at her. No girls had ever done that before to him. He wiped the juice off his face and stormed out of the Great Hall.  
  
Dumbledore smiled at Minerva and clapped his hands. The Gryffindor boys grinned and clapped as well. The Gryffindor girls, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw students followed suit. Soon the Great Hall was filled with applause. Minerva blushed and smiled.  
  
Madeline ran to her and hugged her saying: "Oh Minerva, I'm so proud of you! Nobody has ever done that to Malfoy before!"  
  
The Gryffindor students rushed to her and William opened his mouth first. "That's great! Miss McGonagall! That will show Malfoy that he can't mess with the Gryffindors! Not even the Gryffindor girls!"  
  
"I think she deserves to be the leader of the Gryffindor girls, isn't that right girls?" A 7th year Gryffindor girl asked.  
  
The girls clapped and cheered in response. The 7th year girl turned to boys. "What do you think boys?"  
  
The boys looked at each other and nodded.  
  
"Dumbledore?" She asked.  
  
Dumbledore smiled. "I don't see any reason why I should object."  
  
"Is that mean the Gryffindor boys and girls are allowed to go together now?" Don asked excitedly.  
  
"If that means so much to you, then the answer is yes."  
  
The boys cheered except for Wood.  
  
"I still think girls are far less attractive than Qudditch." He grumbled but no one could hear him. 


	6. The Qudditch Match

Disclaimer: Aidoneus Malfoy, Don Weasley, William Potter.all Dumbledore and McGonagall's schoolmates and teachers, (except for young Madam Hooch, young Professor Sprouts and Professor Dippet) belongs to me. The rest belongs to J.K Rowling.  
  
Chapter 6: The Qudditch match  
  
Things were more lively at the Gryffindor table. The boys sometimes joined the girls and they enjoyed each other's company. Although the Gryffindors had lesser time for their studies because they were spending their time on their new made friends, their grades were still as good as before.  
  
The Slytherin table, however, was a little quiet because the Slytherins' leader, Aidoneus Malfoy, was totally embarrassed in the public by a Gryffindor.  
  
A month passed and the day for the Qudditch match had finally arrived. The 2 teams were Gryffindor and Slytherin and the stadium were filled with students in red and green. (Gryffindors for red and Slytherins for green) Well, to be more accurate, one side of the stadium was filled with red while the other side was filled with green.  
  
The Gryffindors were holding up signs such as: "Beat the Slytherins as much as you can!" and "Go Gryffindor!" Dumbledore was yelling at some boys at the front seats over the noise to wave their red Gryffindor flag as proudly as they can.  
  
The Slytherins were holding up signs too, just that their signs were against the Gryffindors and they were waving their own big green flag with the Slytherin Snake on it.  
  
"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the first Qudditch match of the season in Hogwarts! Today it is Slytherin versus Gryffindor! Now..." Thomas Jordan's (a 5th year Gryffindor student) voice was totally drowned out by the stadium's cheers and boos.  
  
"And now here come the Gryffindor team and boy, aren't they look confident!" He yelled and once again the roars of the Gryffindors and the hisses of the Slytherins drowned his voice.  
  
"And here comes the Slytherin team, whoa, they looked so determined! I think it is because Aidoneus Malfoy was totally embarrassed by the Gryffindor girls' leader but it could have been anything..."  
  
"Jordan, this is no time for a news report, get on with the commentary!" Professor Isidis yelled.  
  
"OK, all right. Here comes the referee, and oh Great Wizards, it's Professor Adara!"  
  
The Gryffindors groaned while the Slytherins cheered. Professor Adara will probably do anything to stop Gryffindor from winning.  
  
"Captains, shake hands!" She said as Wood and the Slytherin Captain, Aidoneus Malfoy stepped out. They shook each other's hand as tight as they could.  
  
"Scared, Wood?" Malfoy sneered.  
  
"You wish." Wood said, not letting his fear showing in his voice.  
  
Professor Adara let the balls out first. The two black Bludgers shot out to the sky as fast as a comet and the Golden Snitch flew out last with its sliver wings beating as fast as the hummingbird's wings.  
  
"Now remember everyone, the Golden Snitch, which worth 150 points, is the most important thing throughout the whole game and the game ended once a Seeker from a team caught it." Thomas reminded the crowd.  
  
"Mount your brooms now." Professor Adara took out the red Quaffle. "On my whistle, 3,2,1..." She threw the Quaffle up to the air, blew her whistle and the 14 players zoomed off to the sky.  
  
"And they are off!" Jordan yelled. The stadium exploded into cheers again.  
  
"And it's Slytherin in possession, Aidoneus Malfoy of Slytherin has the Quaffle now, heading straight for the Gryffindor goalposts, SOMEBODY STOP HIM!!"  
  
Jonathan Wood, the Beater of the Gryffindor team, saw a Bludger flying towards him and wham! He hit it hard towards Malfoy with his bat. "TAKE THIS, MALFOY!!!!" He yelled.  
  
Malfoy saw the incoming Bludger and ducked. The Bludger zoomed past him, narrowly missed his back. "Ha! You miss!" He yelled to Wood and started towards the goalposts again.  
  
Wood scowled but then he saw the Bludger flew toward Malfoy.  
  
WHAM  
  
"OUCH!!!!" Malfoy yelled and he dropped the Quaffle. Michael Johnson, a Chaser from the Gryffindor team, shot to where Malfoy and grabbed the Quaffle before the Slytherin Chasers did.  
  
"Hahahaha!!!! That's got to hurt, isn't it? Malfoy?! Anyway, good work Johnson! No wonder he is nicknamed as the Lightning of the Gryffindor Qudditch team!"  
  
The Slytherin team supporters booed.  
  
"Now, it's Gryffindor in possession, Johnson is heading straight towards the Slytherin goalposts, AHHH!!!! Careful, Michael, that's a Bludger! Phew, that's was close! AND HE SCORES! TEN POINTS TO GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
Johnson flew around the end of the pitch and gave his teammates a high- five.  
  
Minerva grinned and clapped hard. Madeline stood up and cheered. Nicholas put his fingers to his lips and whistled loudly.  
  
"I told you that you will be more impress by the stadium when you watch the Qudditch match from here!" Dumbledore yelled. He was sitting beside Minerva since the Gryffindor boys and girls were now joined together.  
  
"WHAT?" Minerva asked. "SPEAK LOUDER PLEASE, I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"  
  
"I SAID.." Dumbledore yelled but his voice was interrupted by a loud "boo" from the Gryffindor crowd. He turned his attention to the pitch and saw Potter; the Seeker of the Gryffindor team had a bruised cheek. "What the..."  
  
"That's it! Penalty to Gryffindor for an unprovoked attack on their Seeker!" Professor Adara yelled.  
  
Malfoy's mouth dropped open. "WHAT?!" He yelled.  
  
"What happened?!" Dumbledore shouted to Nicholas, who was sitting beside him.  
  
"Malfoy punched William on the cheek for no reason! I think it's because he had figured out that William knows about his crush!" Nicholas yelled.  
  
"Is it just me or Professor Adara just gave a penalty to our team?" Minerva yelled.  
  
Dumbledore couldn't shout now, his throat hurts. So he just nodded.  
  
"Boy, she's acting like human today!" Joe Black yelled from his place beside Nicholas.  
  
"Don Weasley flew forward to the penalty. And YES! HE SCORES AGAIN! ANOTHER TEN POINTS FOR GRYFFINDOR!" yelled Jordan.  
  
"YES!" Dumbledore cheered.  
  
William rubbed his cheek and continued to search for the Golden Snitch. And then he saw it, flying near the Slytherin goalposts. He zoomed down toward the goalposts as fast as his broom could go. Unfortunately the Slytherin Seeker spotted and started to make his way towards the same spot.  
  
"Looks like William spotted the Snitch, come on, William!!!" Robert yelled.  
  
Madeline focused on William and yelled: "Go! Don't lose to those snakes!"  
  
"Faster, faster!" William urged his broom. The Slytherin Seeker flew beside him and tried to knock William off his broom. The Snitch flew even lower.  
  
"William is going to hit the ground if he doesn't stop now!" Madeline yelled in panic.  
  
William noticed his situation and he pulled his broom to level himself with the ground. The Slytherin Seeker, however, didn't notice and he hit the ground hard. William continued to fly towards the Snitch.  
  
Dumbledore stared at William and grabbed Minerva's hand. "He's going to make it, I know it!" He yelled, ignoring his throat that hurts like hell.  
  
Everything else was forgotten as a feeling of joy swept over Minerva. "Why am I feeling so happy? He's just holding my hand." Minerva asked herself.  
  
William stretched out his hand towards the Snitch. "Come on.." He pleaded. He leaned forward and----  
  
"YES!"  
  
William shot up into the air, grinning with the Golden Snitch in his hand, beating its wings helplessly against his fingers.  
  
"William Potter got the Snitch! He earned 150 points for Gryffindor!" Jordan yelled happily.  
  
Professor Adara blew her whistle. "Gryffindor wins!"  
  
The crowd roared. Madeline screamed in delight. "We won! We won!"  
  
Joe and Robert gave each other a high five. "We can't believe we won! Woohoo!!!" Robert yelled.  
  
"I can't believe Professor Adara let the Gryffindor team to win! What's wrong with her?" Nicholas asked Madeline.  
  
"I don't know, who cares?" Madeline asked.  
  
"We won the match!" Dumbledore yelled and he hugged Minerva happily.  
  
Minerva blushed and then Dumbledore pulled himself away from her. "Oops, sorry. I was too happy." He smiled nervously.  
  
"That's..all right." Minerva said, not letting Dumbledore to her scarlet face.  
  
"Hey you two! Let's go and congratulate the team!" Joe yelled, not noticing what's going on between Minerva and Dumbledore.  
  
"Coming!" Dumbledore yelled, running toward Joe and Minerva followed.  
  
"Stop it, stop it! You are not going to be in love with him, he's too old for you! But then again... Ahh!!!!" Minerva thought. 


	7. The Celebration and the Fight

Disclaimer: Aidoneus Malfoy, Don Weasley, William Potter.all Dumbledore and McGonagall's schoolmates and teachers, (except for young Madam Hooch, young Professor Sprouts, Professor Dippet and young Madam Pomfrey) belongs to me. The rest belongs to J.K Rowling.  
  
Chapter 7: The Celebration and the Fight  
  
"I would like to make a toast, to all of our players in the Qudditch team!" Albus said as he stood up in the Gryffindor common room at night, holding his glass of Butterbeer.  
  
The Gryffindor students all stood up with their own glasses of drinks.  
  
"Cheers!" They yelled and---CLINK the glasses went.  
  
"Hey William, how's your cheek?" Don asked.  
  
"Better." William answered shortly. His cheek was less swollen now. "Did anyone see Malfoy's face when we won?"  
  
"Yeah, he looked as if it's the end of the world!!" Lawrence grinned and took a sip from his Butterbeer.  
  
"I wonder what's wrong with Professor Adara? Why is she so lenient on us?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"Maybe because she likes Gryffindor." Joe suggested as he took a Chocolate Frog from the table.  
  
Don snorted. "Yeah right, she likes us so much that she gives us detentions every time during her lessons for our enjoyment."  
  
"She must be out of her mind for being lenient on us." Robert said thoughtfully as he ("Whoohoo! I got Circe!" Joe cried as he took out his card) took a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.  
  
"And on the right time too." Wood grinned. "The Slytherins are probably cracking their minds right now, wondering (Aw yuck! What kind of flavor is this?!" Robert spat) what is going on with their dear Slytherin Professor."  
  
Robert grabbed his pumpkin juice and washed the disgusting taste in his mouth with it. "That's better. Want some, Albus?" He offered the beans to Dumbledore.  
  
Dumbledore stared at it. "No, thank you. I don't like them much."  
  
Madeline took a Peppermint Toad from the pile of sweets. "Qudditch is so wonderful, isn't it?" She asked.  
  
"The best. How's the first year's flying lessons?" William asked.  
  
Madeline suddenly concentrated on her nails. Minerva looked pain. Robert and Joe concentrated on their sweets.  
  
"What's wrong?" William asked.  
  
All of them didn't respond.  
  
"What's wrong? Did I said anything wrong?" William asked the 6th year boys.  
  
They shrugged.  
  
"Well..." Madeline started slowly.  
  
"Don't talk so slowly, what happened?" Wood asked impatiently.  
  
Madeline looked at Minerva and Minerva nodded.  
  
"Well, we were taking our first flying lesson with the Slytherins when Sam Snape insulted Minerva." Madeline said softly.  
  
"WHAT?!" All the 6th year boys stood up.  
  
"What the hell did he say?" Wood asked.  
  
"He..he said that Minerva is a ...a..."  
  
"A what?" William asked.  
  
"A seducer." Madeline whispered.  
  
"What?!" Poppy Pomfrey, a 2nd year Gryffindor student, gasped. "Why?"  
  
"He said that she seduce Dumbledore because she wants to be the leader of the Gryffindor girls. Robert and Joe (the 2 boys stopped eating) knows about it too, they didn't tell you guys because Sam threatened them not to."  
  
Dumbledore clenched his fists while the other boys backed away from him. He turned around to face them. "Come on!" He stormed towards the portrait door while the 6th year followed him.  
  
"Wait! Where are you going?!" Madeline asked frantically.  
  
  
  
"Albus, Albus! You are not going punch Snape, right?" Wood asked as they walked down the corridor.. or, in a better way, he was practically jogging beside Dumbledore because Dumbledore was walking so fast.  
  
"No, just confront him." Dumbledore said.  
  
"Oh."  
  
The Gryffindor boys finally saw Snape, Malfoy and some Slytherins walking back to the Slytherin common room.  
  
"SNAPE!!" Dumbledore bellowed. The Gryffindor boys backed away from him a little.  
  
Snape turned slowly around. "Oh, it's you, Dumbledore."  
  
Dumbledore marched towards ("Calm down, Albus, don't kill him!" Wood called out.) Snape and glared at him.  
  
Snape backed away a little.  
  
"What did you say to Minerva?" Dumbledore asked calmly.  
  
Snape straightened himself up. "Oh, you had heard, didn't you? Which coward told you, Robber or Joey?"  
  
Dumbledore frowned. "Robert and Joe are not cowards. And they didn't told me, Madeline did."  
  
Snape smirked. "Oh, that eagle? Anyway, I said that McGonagall is seducer. But no, I should have called her a slut, look at all her supporters."  
  
The Slytherins snickered while the Gryffindors gritted their teeth. But before they could do anything, something in Dumbledore's mind snapped and he punched Snape on his pale cheek. Snape wiped his blood off the corner of his mouth while the Gryffindors gaped at their leader.  
  
Malfoy stepped out. "So Albus, do you want a fight?" He sneered.  
  
"Not him, we are." William said coldly as the Gryffindors stepped forward.  
  
"Oh really? My hands are itching but I doubt that you guys are good fighters." Malfoy teased.  
  
"Oh yeah? Take this!" William yelled and he punched Malfoy on the face.  
  
That signals the start of the fight. The Gryffindors picked on the Slytherins and started their fight.  
  
SLAP "This is punching me during the match!" SLAP "And this is for putting the Leg-Locker Curse on me!"  
  
"How dare you call Minerva a slut!"  
  
And no one even bother to look for a teacher, they were too busily fighting. Nearly Headless Nick rushed out to see what's all the noise and gaped at the terrible scene. He ran (do spirits run?) as fast as he could to get Professor Dippet. Professor Dippet ran the location and managed to pull all of the students apart before they kill each other.  
  
"Boys, boys! Calm down! What do you think you are doing?!"  
  
All of them didn't respond. The Slytherins glared at the Gryffindors and the Gryffindors glared back.  
  
"50! 50 points will be taken away from Gryffindor and Slytherin! Albus Dumbledore, I am surprise at you, you are a Prefect and prefects should be giving good example to other students, not involving in a fight."  
  
Dumbledore said nothing.  
  
"Get back to your common room now, no, go to the hospital wing first. And I don't want anymore fights between you 2 houses from now on, understand?" Professor Dippet asked loudly.  
  
"Yes, Sir." The students mumbled.  
  
"Now go!" He ordered.  
  
"Yes Sir." They said and walked slowly towards the hospital wing. 


	8. The Howler

Disclaimer: Aidoneus Malfoy, Don Weasley, William Potter.all Dumbledore and McGonagall's schoolmates and teachers, (except for young Madam Hooch, young Professor Sprouts, Professor Dippet and young Madam Pomfrey) belongs to me. The rest belongs to J.K Rowling.  
  
Chapter 8: The Howler  
  
"Oh Great Wizards! What happen to you, Albus?" Minerva exclaimed.  
  
"Got into fight." Dumbledore answered shortly.  
  
"That nurse in the hospital wing didn't help much, she only gave us chocolates. Wonder if my parents let me to buy a new robe?" Don said, examining the tears on his robe.  
  
"Yeah right, and get a Howler from your parents: How dare you fight in school, Don Weasley!" Wood snapped as he bite his chocolate. "Albus, your nose is still bleeding." He added.  
  
"What? Oh no." Dumbledore groaned.  
  
"Why do you have to fight?" Minerva asked as she gave Dumbledore a handkerchief.  
  
"Thanks. Because Snape insulted you, Madeline, Robert and Joe."  
  
"What does that grease hair boy says this time?" Madeline asked.  
  
"You don't want to know." Nicholas said, rubbing his sore neck.  
  
"If I am the school nurse, I will heal all of you immediately." Poppy said.  
  
"You want to be a school nurse, I want to be the flying instructor." Madeline said.  
  
"Girls, girls, this is no time for a future job discussion now." Minerva said softly and turned to Dumbledore. "Albus, please don't fight again, I hate to see you covered with bruises."  
  
"All right." Dumbledore said, concentrating on his nose.  
  
"Are you listening?"  
  
"Yes, I am. All right, to prove to you that I am listening..." Dumbledore stood up and held up his right hand.  
  
"Albus, what.." Minerva started.  
  
"I, Albus Dumbledore, will not fight again, otherwise I will lose my friendship that I made with Minerva McGonagall." He sat down.  
  
"You don't have to swear..." Minerva mumbled.  
  
Wood moved to Minerva. "Don't worry, he won't fight again. He gave Snape a punch. A black eye and a...." He thought for a while. "broken lip. And William gave Malfoy a punch, a bruised neck and a bloody nose. I doubt that they will pick on us again for a short time."  
  
The next day, owls came into the Great Hall with letters and parcels during breakfast and to all the students' shock, several owls were carrying red letters.  
  
"What the...." Wood started.  
  
The owls dropped the letters to most of the 6th year Gryffindor boys and the Slytherin boys.  
  
"Uh oh." William said slowly.  
  
"Let's open them together. Minerva?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
Minerva nodded and got all the girls to sit at their old places at the end of the Gryffindor table.  
  
"All right, on the count of 3....1,2...3!"  
  
The boys tore the letter open and they covered their ears as the Howlers screamed at them.  
  
"HOW DARE YOU FIGHT IN SCHOOL, WILLIAM POTTER!"  
  
"I THOUGHT YOU HAVE STOPPED THAT NASTY HABIT OF FIGHTING BUT NOOOO! YOU STARTED FIGHTING AGAIN, DON WEASELY!"  
  
"YOU SHOULD SPENT YOUR TIME ON QUDDITCH AND STUDYING INSTEAD OF FIGHTING, JONATHAN WOOD!"  
  
"WHY THE HELL DID YOU GO AND FIGHT WITH THOSE SNAKES, NICHOLAS LONGBOTTOM!"  
  
"YOU ARE SETTING BAD EXAMPLE TO YOUR SISTER, LAWRENCE BROWN!"  
  
"I AM SURPRISE AT YOU, ALBUS DUMBLEDORE! YOU ARE A PREFECT!"  
  
15 minutes later, the Howler finally stopped and they tore themselves into pieces.  
  
"How did our parents know that we got ourselves into a fight?" Nicholas asked.  
  
"By me, I guess." Albus said miserably. "Once Professor Dippet saw me, he knew who are involved straight away. Because I always mixed around with your guys. I'm sorry, boys, I shouldn't drag all of you along to find Snape...."  
  
"You didn't drag us, we are willing to go with you. Besides, I had been wanted to punch Malfoy for a long time." William grinned.  
  
Dumbledore didn't respond.  
  
"I think he is still blaming himself." Robert whispered to Joe. Joe nodded.  
  
William noticed the boys' sober expression. "Hey, guess what? I saw a notice on the notice board this morning and we are all allowed to go to Hogsmeade this weekend!"  
  
Robert and Joe looked up. "All of us?"  
  
William nodded. "All of us, included the first years."  
  
Robert and Joe looked excited.  
  
"Come on, boys we can forget about the fight and the Howlers and look forward to this!" William said, hoping his enthusiasm would be catching.  
  
All the boys except for Dumbledore smiled.  
  
William frowned and walked to Minerva. He whispered to her. Minerva walked to Dumbledore with William and William left the two of them alone.  
  
"Albus, are you going to Hogsmeade this weekend?" She started.  
  
"I don't think I deserve to go after I had this fight." Dumbledore said flatly.  
  
"Oh please Albus, you have to go! I have never been to Hogsmeade and I want you to show me around! I heard that there's a very nice sweet shop, a joke shop, and the Three Broomsticks. You have been there so many times; surely you know somewhere that is fun! Albus, please? Pretty please?" Minerva begged.  
  
Albus smiled. "All right, I'll go."  
  
Minerva smiled happily.  
  
"Hey look, Albus is smiling! What did you say to McGonagall, William?" Wood asked.  
  
"Nothing. I just ask her to think of a way to cheer Albus up. She's pretty good. Maybe we should get her every time when Albus is in a bad mood." William said thoughtfully. 


	9. Hogsmeade

Disclaimer: Aidoneus Malfoy, Don Weasley, William Potter.all Dumbledore and McGonagall's schoolmates and teachers, (except for young Madam Hooch, young Professor Sprouts, Professor Dippet and young Madam Pomfrey) belongs to me. The rest belongs to J.K Rowling.  
  
Chapter 9: Hogsmeade  
  
"Look! There's the Honeydukes Sweetshop!" Minerva said excitedly.  
  
"Wonder if there's any shop selling stuff about Quidditch?" Madeline said as she looked around.  
  
Saturday finally arrived and the students were having great fun at Hogsmeade. Minerva looked around in awe. There's Honeydukes, The Three Broomsticks, Zonko's Joke Shop, Dervish and Banges, Gladrags Wizardwear, the post office and the Hog's Head.  
  
"There's no Qudditch equipment shop!" Madeline cried in disappointment.  
  
"Well? Where shall we go first?" Wood asked. The Gryffindor gang turned their heads to Dumbledore.  
  
"Let's the youngest ones decide." Dumbledore said, smiling.  
  
The older Gryffindor students turned their heads to Minerva and her gang.  
  
"Honeydukes!" Madeline and Minerva said.  
  
"Zonko's Joke Shop!" Joe and Robert said at the same time.  
  
"It's a tie." Wood said. "Well, Albus?"  
  
"Now it is the older ones to decide. Those who wants to go to Honeydukes, hands up!" Dumbledore said. Nicholas raised his hand and to Minerva's delight, Dumbledore raised his hand too.  
  
Dumbledore looked at Wood, William and Don, who had their hands down. "Oh well, looks like we are outvote. Let's go to Zonko's Joke Shop."  
  
Wood, William, Don, Robert and Joe all cheered and gave each other a high- five.  
  
  
  
The Zonko's Joke Shop was the favorite place for Hogwarts students to shop. William wandered off to see the latest trick toy: The vanishing ink. (A kind of ink that you can pour on a person's shirt and the ink will disappear a few moments later without a trance.) Don was looking at the Dungbombs. Wood was looking at the rubber bloody hand. Robert and Joe were talking about which jokes and tricks were the most worthy to spend their money on.  
  
"Albus, why don't you and the boys stay here, Madeline and I will go to the Honeydukes ourselves." Minerva said. Clearly, she was not interested in Zonko's Joke Shop.  
  
"Never mind, Nicholas and I will go with you and Madeline. I want to buy lemon drops and Nicholas raised his hand in the first place. Nicholas! Let's go to Honeydukes now! ("OK, I'm coming!" Nicholas called.) Boys, I am going to Honeydukes now. See you at Hogwarts later! ("All right!" The boys answered.) Come on, let's go." Dumbledore said and all of 4 of them went out of Zonko's.  
  
  
  
"Look at the variety of sweets here!" Minerva said as they entered Honeydukes. There's Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, (Dumbledore looked disgust at the sight of them) Fizzing Whizbees (Madeline looked very interested in them) Droobles Best Blowing Gum (Minerva wants to buy them to eat them during breakfast in the Great Hall but Dumbledore won't let her because he thinks that the teachers will not be pleased at the sight of blue bubbles all over the Great Hall) Toothflossing Stringmints, Pepper Imps ("Maybe we should buy these, so that we can burn the Slytherins' butts when they bother us again." Nicholas said) Ice Mice, Cockroach Clusters ("Who would want to buy those?" Madeline asked. "People who likes cockroaches." Nicholas said.) sugar quills, Acid Pops, Jelly Slugs, Ton- Tongue Toffee, Canary Cream ("Maybe we can tricked Malfoy into eating that. I always wonder what does he look like in a canary form." Nicholas said to Dumbledore) Peppermint Toads, exploding bon-bons, blood-flavored lollipops, Chocolate Frogs, Fudge Flies and lots more.  
  
Dumbledore picked up two packs of lemon drops from the aisle and paid for his things. Minerva was staring at the sweets, still thinking of what to buy. Nicholas grabbed the Pepper Imps and Canary Cream.  
  
"You don't really want burn the Slytherins, do you?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"I won't do it in front of you. I will try to trick Malfoy into the Canary Cream too. I bet the other boys will like this trick." Nicholas grinned.  
  
Madeline smiled and took the Frizzing Whizbees. Minerva was still staring at the sweets and then sadly at the Droobles Best Blowing Gum.  
  
"Minerva, hurry up!" Madeline said impatiently as she collected her change from the lady behind the counter.  
  
"Coming..." Minerva said absentmindedly, still staring at the Droobles Best Blowing Gum.  
  
Dumbledore looked at Minerva, then his lemon drops, then Nicholas and Madeline with their sweets, then back to Minerva.  
  
"Minerva? I think you should buy them." Dumbledore said.  
  
"What? But you said..." Minerva started, surprised.  
  
"Forget what I just said, if you like them so much, buy them. I don't want you to be upset because of what I just said." Dumbledore said, took two sticks of Droobles Best Blowing Gum and put them on Minerva's hand. "There. Now I have my lemon drops, Nicholas has his Canary Cream and Pepper Imps, Madeline has her Frizzing Whizbees and you have your Droobles Best Blowing Gum. Just don't blow them in front of the teachers, all right?"  
  
"I won't. Thank you." Minerva smiled.  
  
  
  
"Let's go to the Three Broomsticks!" Minerva suggested.  
  
"Good, I am dying for hot chocolate." Dumbledore said, smiling.  
  
"No thanks, I need to get back to Hogwarts and try the Frizzing Whizbees in the common room." Madeline said.  
  
"Count me out, I want to get back to Hogwarts too and think of a good way to trick Malfoy to eat those sweets. I bet the boys are not back yet so our bedroom must be pretty quiet and I need a quiet place to think." Nicholas said.  
  
Before Dumbledore and Minerva could say anymore, Madeline and Nicholas called "Goodbye!" and left them.  
  
"Oh well, I guess we have to go there ourselves." Dumbledore said, still smiling.  
  
  
  
Dumbledore pushed the doors at the Three Broomsticks open and let Minerva in first. Once they got a booth and sat down, a tall, young waiter with blond hair and blue eyes came to take their order.  
  
"Hey, Albus! Hogsmeade weekend, huh?" The waiter said.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Usual, I presume?"  
  
Dumbledore nodded.  
  
"What about this young lady? Wait a minute...." A sly look came across the waiter's face. "Is she your girlfriend?"  
  
Dumbledore blushed. "Well, I like her a lot...."  
  
"Woohoo! So, what do you like, Mrs. Dumbledore?" The waiter grinned.  
  
Minerva blushed. "I'm not his wife. Anyway, I want gillywater please.  
  
"Aw, you two are no fun." The waiter said as he walked off.  
  
"Why do you have to say that?" Minerva asked Dumbledore.  
  
"I can't tell lies." Dumbledore smiled shyly.  
  
"Here's your hot chocolate, Albus and your gillywater, Mrs. Dumbledore." The waiter grinned and ran off to other customers before Minerva could say anything.  
  
"He is almost as bad as Malfoy." Minerva said she took a sip from her glass.  
  
"He's all right, just that he likes to tease his friends." Dumbledore as he stirred his hot chocolate and when he just about to swallow his chocolate, the waiter came out of nowhere and suddenly asked: "Any kissing yet?"  
  
Dumbledore spit out his chocolate at the waiter's sudden question. "PETER!!! PLEASE!!!" He yelled.  
  
"Okay, okay, I'm going!" The waiter said and ran off.  
  
"What a waste of chocolate...." Dumbledore groaned as he took out his handkerchief and wiped his mouth. "Although he likes to drive his friends crazy, he is still a nice boy." He said after he had finished wiping his mouth.  
  
Minerva suddenly giggled.  
  
"What's the matter?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
Minerva stopped giggling and smiled. "You've missed a spot." She said softly, took out her own handkerchief and wiped the chocolate stains off the left corner of Dumbledore's mouth.  
  
Dumbledore blushed. Both of them looked at each other and smiled embarrassedly. 


	10. The Broomstick Ride

Disclaimer: Aidoneus Malfoy, Don Weasley, William Potter.all Dumbledore and McGonagall's schoolmates and teachers, (except for young Madam Hooch, young Professor Sprouts, Professor Dippet and young Madam Pomfrey) belongs to me. The rest belongs to J.K Rowling.  
  
Chapter 10: The Broomstick Ride  
  
"Sorry to interrupt but don't you two think that it is time to go now?" Peter asked as he wiped a table.  
  
Dumbledore and Minerva stopped chatting and looked up. Dumbledore took out his pocket watch and he and Minerva looked at it.  
  
"10.30 pm?!" They exclaimed.  
  
"We are supposed to get back to Hogwarts 4 and a half hours ago!" Minerva groaned. "Now the main doors are locked and all the students and teachers must have gone to bed! Albus, what are we going to do?"  
  
Dumbledore didn't respond.  
  
"You two can apparate." Peter suggested.  
  
"I have not learned that yet." Minerva said gloomily.  
  
"I know how to apparate but I can't just leave Minerva behind. Besides, you can't just apparate into Hogwarts, the security of the castle itself is pretty tight." Dumbledore protested and thought deeply. "I know! Don and William told me about a secret tunnel outside the castle, it leads to the portrait outside the common room. If we can get to it, we can get back to the common room without being seen by any teachers."  
  
"Great!" Minerva said but then Dumbledore's next sentence disappointed her.  
  
"The problem is, the secret tunnel is at the other side of the lake. We have to think of a way to get there." Dumbledore said.  
  
"Why don't you two just fly over?" Peter asked.  
  
Minerva and Dumbledore looked at him. "Fly?"  
  
"Yeah, my dad has a broomstick that he can lend, you two can fly over the lake by using it."  
  
"Great!" Minerva clapped her hands in delight.  
  
"I will go and ask my dad." Peter said and ran off.  
  
"Isn't this wonderful, Albus? We can get back to Hogwarts without being seen!" Minerva said happily.  
  
Dumbledore didn't respond.  
  
"Here you go." Peter said as he handed over the broomstick to Dumbledore at the Three Broomsticks' entrance. "The model is Tinderblast. I know it is not as fast as the Comet or Cleansweep models, but at least it can bring you two back to Hogwarts."  
  
"Thanks." Minerva said happily as she and Dumbledore mounted the broom.  
  
"No problem. Just remember to bring it back next time when you come to Hogsmeade. Goodbye!" Peter said and went back to the pub.  
  
"Minerva? Do you know how to ride a broomstick?" Dumbledore asked, clutching the broomstick tightly.  
  
"Not really. I was so mad at Snape that I can't concentrate." Minerva admitted.  
  
"Uh oh."  
  
"What's wrong?" Minerva asked in concern.  
  
"Hold on tight, Minerva." Dumbledore said seriously.  
  
Minerva put her arms around Dumbledore's waist tightly. "Albus, what's wrong?"  
  
"I don't want you to die." Dumbledore said.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Minerva asked in shock.  
  
"I haven't ride a broomstick since my 1st year." Dumbledore admitted.  
  
"And that was..." Minerva asked slowly.  
  
"5 years ago, I hope I can still remember how to fly one. Do you know how to swim?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"Yeah..." Minerva answered.  
  
"Good, because if something goes wrong, we may ended up in the lake with the giant squid."  
  
Minerva went pale.  
  
"Hmmm. Let's see...if I remember correctly, Professor Hawkshead told us that we need to kick off from the ground to get started..." Dumbledore said to himself and he kicked off the ground. "Aha! I got it!"  
  
The broom shot forward.  
  
"Oops! I think I have kicked off too hard!" Dumbledore shouted.  
  
"SLOW DOWN!" Minerva screamed.  
  
"I can't! I can't remember how! And I can't remember how to stop it either!" Dumbledore responded in panic.  
  
Minerva looked down; Hogsmeade is now nothing but just a small land with lights. Minerva held on to Dumbledore tighter. "We are going to die." She thought.  
  
  
  
"ALBUS, WATCH OUT FOR THAT TREE!!!!!" Minerva screamed.  
  
Dumbledore reacted by swerved the broomstick to his right to avoid the tall tree.  
  
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Minerva shrieked as Dumbledore swerved the broom.  
  
"Look, there's the lake!" Dumbledore said excitedly. But then he said, "Now to settle two more problems, slowing down and stopping."  
  
As they flew over the dark lake, Minerva looked down. "I should have written my will before we mount this broom. I wonder if the water is cold." She thought.  
  
"Hey, Minerva, I remember how to descend now." Dumbledore said, turning his head to look at her.  
  
"LOOK IN FRONT WHILE YOU ARE RIDING THE BROOMSTICK!" Minerva screamed in panic.  
  
Dumbledore turned his attention to his "driving". He soon descended.  
  
"Thank Goodness!" Minerva said but then she remembered something. If Dumbledore didn't know how to slow down and stop a broomstick while he was riding, then...  
  
"Albus, how did we get ourselves off the broom?"  
  
"We have no choice but to jump." Dumbledore said as they sailed towards the end of the lake.  
  
"WHAT?" Minerva exclaimed.  
  
"All right, we are almost there, on the count of 3, jump off the broom, 1..2...3!" Dumbledore yelled and both of them jumped off the broom.  
  
The broom shot towards a short tree and crashed into the tree's branches. Minerva and Dumbledore, however, landed on the ground hard. Minerva felt that the firm ground had tore her hand open and a stinging pain spread over her palm. She rolled over, clutched her hand tightly. Dumbledore sat up, rolled up his sleeve and a leg of his trousers and examined the deep cuts on his arm and his kneecap.  
  
"Minerva? Minerva!! Are you all right?!" He asked and stared her injured hand. "Uh oh. I'm sorry, I'm really sorry! I should have thought of another way to get here..." He stopped after he saw Minerva's horrified face at his cuts.  
  
"Never mind about me! Albus, how's your arm and knee?" Minerva asked, ignoring her hand.  
  
"They hurts, but..."  
  
"We..we need to get back to the common room, immediately!" She said in panic.  
  
"The common room? I thought we are supposed to get to the hospital wing. I know that we will be questioned about our injuries but..."  
  
"No, Poppy!"  
  
"Poppy Pomfrey? What about her?"  
  
"She can heal us!"  
  
Dumbledore looked at her as if she had gone mad.  
  
"But she is not a nurse!"  
  
"But she knows how to deal with us! She has chocolates, and the right potions to put us right! Where's the secret tunnel?"  
  
Dumbledore stopped questioning. They helped each other up and Dumbledore led her to the secret tunnel. (He left the broomstick at the tree first and decided to go back for it the first thing tomorrow) They stopped in front of the castle wall and Dumbledore limped around, looking at the grass. He took out his wand.  
  
"Lumos. (Flames comes out of his wand) I know it is here somewhere...Ah!" He kneeled down and caught hold of a small rusty iron ring. He pulled the ring with his hand and the ground in front of the wall disappeared into a square opening with stairs made of flat stones in it.  
  
"Ladies first." He smiled weakly, rubbing his bleeding kneecap painfully.  
  
Minerva looked at him; it hurts her to see him like that. "I shouldn't suggest about going to the Three Broomsticks, it's my fault that we missed the time and ended up looking as if we got attacked by the Doxy or a dra.."  
  
"Go on." Dumbledore smiled again, this time his smile seemed to be weaker than the last one.  
  
Minerva went down the opening and Dumbledore followed, closing the trapdoor behind him. He caught hold of Minerva's hand and they went down the tunnel. They stopped when they saw a flight of stairs leading upwards.  
  
Dumbledore mumbled something that sounded like "my poor kneecap". "Come on. We are reaching there." He said and climbed slowly on the stairs.  
  
Minerva followed and stopped behind Dumbledore when he stopped. He reached out, felt something above him, pushed and opened the trapdoor.  
  
"Nox." He whispered and the fire on his wand went out. He poked his head out of the opening. "The coast is clear, Minerva." He said and climbed out.  
  
"Eek!" A tiny scream came to Dumbledore's ears when he helped Minerva out. He turned around and saw the Fat Lady with her face pale with shock.  
  
"Oh, it's you! I thought it is Professor Adara." Dumbledore said in relief. He stood up and closed the trapdoor.  
  
"What happened to you two?" The Fat Lady asked, looking at the tears on Dumbledore's clothes and Minerva's messy hair and her injured hand.  
  
"Never mind about us, the password is Chizpurfle." Dumbledore said weakly.  
  
The portrait swung forward and they climbed into the common room. Instead of an empty dark common room, all their friends greeted them as if they had come back from the warfront.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"I thought we left you at the Three Broomsticks, not the Sahara Desert. What took you two so long to come back?"  
  
"We are so worried about you two! We are planning to get Professor Isidis but you two don't come back in the morning.."  
  
"Poppy, where's Poppy?" Minerva asked.  
  
"Here." Poppy answered.  
  
"Get some potions for Albus, quick!" Minerva said, tears almost coming out of her eyes.  
  
"Us! Don't forget about your hand, Minerva!" Dumbledore corrected.  
  
Madeline and Poppy gasped at their injuries and Poppy ran to the girls' dormitories. Poppy came back with her wand, a bottle of purple potion and some cotton wool.  
  
"Heal Minerva first...." Dumbledore said.  
  
"This is no time to be a gentleman, Albus, sit down on the chair and let Poppy look at you." Minerva ordered.  
  
"But..." Dumbledore protested.  
  
"SIT." Minerva said firmly.  
  
Dumbledore sat down. All the students gaped at his kneecap, which was covered in red. Poppy stared at it closely. "There might be a scar, Dumbledore." She said finally.  
  
"Whatever. Just heal it and get to Minerva." Dumbledore said impatiently.  
  
Poppy cleaned Dumbledore's blood away from his skin with her cotton wool, (Dumbledore bite his lip) cleaned the cut with a dab of the purple potion which smoked and stung. She poked his kneecap with her wand and Dumbledore felt it heal instantly.  
  
And it did, the cut disappeared, leaving a scar that looked a bit like the London underground map.  
  
"Cool scar." Wood said in awe.  
  
"Why didn't you give us that when we fought with the Slytherins?" William asked.  
  
"Oh please! Those bruises that you boys got can't compare to Minerva and Dumbledore's injuries." Poppy snapped.  
  
"Where did you learn that from, Poppy?" Minerva asked.  
  
"I didn't learn it, I invented it." Poppy smiled. "Now for your arm, Dumbledore."  
  
Dumbledore stretched out his arm and Poppy did the same thing to his arm. He stared at his arm as the cuts disappeared without a trance behind.  
  
"Thanks, now heal Minerva please." Dumbledore said.  
  
"You don't have to tell me that." Poppy rolled her eyes and turned to Minerva. "Show me your hand."  
  
Minerva showed her hand to Poppy, which was also covered in red. Poppy did the same thing and the cut healed itself quickly.  
  
"Thanks. You're great." Minerva smiled.  
  
"Now wait here." Poppy said and ran off again. She came back with two bars of chocolate. She gave Dumbledore and Minerva one each. "Eat." She said shortly.  
  
Dumbledore took a bite off his chocolate when Wood asked: "How did you two get back here?"  
  
"Secret tunnel near the lake." Dumbledore answered.  
  
"How did you two get to the lake?" Nicholas asked.  
  
"By riding a broomstick."  
  
"But Albus, you haven't ridden a broomstick for about 5 years!" William exclaimed.  
  
"I know. At least Minerva and I didn't fall into the lake." Dumbledore replied.  
  
"Where did you get the broomstick from?" Don asked.  
  
"All right, enough questions, these two need rest." The Head Boy said, shooing all the students except Dumbledore and Minerva back to their dormitories.  
  
The Head Boy greeted Dumbledore and Minerva goodnight and went back to the Boys' Dormitories.  
  
Minerva looked at Dumbledore, who was staring at his kneecap with interest.  
  
"Albus, I'm sorry, I shouldn't suggest about going to the Three Broomsticks, it's my fault that we missed the time and you have to ride the broomsticks and hurt yourself.."  
  
Dumbledore looked up. "No, it's my fault, I should have thought of another way to come back here. I should have told Peter that my riding skills are rusty."  
  
"No, it's my fault!" Minerva insisted.  
  
"No, it's..." Dumbledore stopped and smiled. "All right, so we blamed ourselves. If you accept my apology and I accept yours, we can forget this whole thing."  
  
"Fine." Minerva said and smiled. "Sorry."  
  
"Sorry." Dumbledore said and stood up. "Let's get back to our own dormitories."  
  
Minerva nodded. "Goodnight."  
  
Dumbledore smiled. "Goodnight." He paused for a while. He looked as if he wanted to do something but then he caught himself.  
  
"Well...goodnight then, sweet dreams." He smiled again and walked back to the Boys' Dormitories. 


	11. Exams and an Announcement

Disclaimer: Aidoneus Malfoy, Don Weasley, William Potter.all Dumbledore and McGonagall's schoolmates and teachers, (except for young Madam Hooch, young Professor Sprouts, Professor Dippet and young Madam Pomfrey) belongs to me. The rest belongs to J.K Rowling.  
  
Chapter 11: Exams and an Announcement.  
  
The whole school year passed by very quickly without much incident, unless you counted the time when Malfoy was getting dreamy and always stared at Professor Adara with a rapt, misty-eyed expression during Charms. Professor Adara had been found giving the Gryffindors points, smiled at them and praised them for their hard work, which was quite a shock to the Gryffindors and the Slytherins. And soon the end-of-year exams were coming. To the all students at Hogwarts, the exams meant burning more of the midnight oil and no fooling around anymore. Well....all except Albus Dumbledore. He treated exams like a normal, everyday thing. He was seen flipping through a Muggle comic book when everyone around him was reading his or her textbooks after breakfast in a Sunday morning. Minerva was nowhere in sight.  
  
"Albus, how can you be reading a Muggle comic book when the exams are around the corner?" William asked, with his Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook in his hands.  
  
"I'm ready, ask me any questions." Dumbledore said, flipping a page on his comic.  
  
All the Gryffindor boys near Dumbledore looked at each other and grinned evilly.  
  
"Okay, Albus, in Muggle Studies, what's a telephone?"  
  
"The system of communication that Muggle use to have a conversation with someone in another place."  
  
"Name all the planets in the sky and tell us what do they named after?"  
  
"You mean, who do they named after." Dumbledore corrected, looking up from his comic. "There are 9 planets, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto and of course, Earth. Earth didn't name after anything or anyone. Mercury is named after the Roman messenger of the gods, Venus is named after the Roman Goddess of Love, Mars is named after the Roman God of War, Jupiter is named after the Roman King of the Gods, Saturn is named after the Roman God of Time, Son of Uranus, Uranus is named after the Roman God of the Sky, Neptune is named after the Roman God of the Sea and finally, Pluto is named after the Roman God of the Underworld." Dumbledore stopped and took a sip from his glass of pumpkin juice.  
  
The boys gaped at him.  
  
"In Defense Against the Dark Arts, what does a Troll looks like?"  
  
"Depends. Mountain troll is bald, with a pale-grey skin. Forest troll has a pale-green skin and some specimens have hair, which is green or brown, thin and straggly. River troll has short horns and may be hairy. It has a purplish skin." Dumbledore turned his attention back to his comic.  
  
Wood frowned a little. He just couldn't believe that Dumbledore had really studied for the exams. "Okay, Albus, try to transfigure a person here into an animal."  
  
All the boys, except Wood and Dumbledore, said: "Bad move."  
  
Dumbledore looked up. "You ask for it." He grinned and took out his wand.  
  
SNAP  
  
The boys stared while the girls paused and said: "Ooooo, he is cute!!!!!"  
  
A Snidget sat at where Wood had been sitting. The very round, small bird flapped its small wings and flew around the boys with uncanny speed. It looked at Dumbledore with its glistening, jewel-like red eyes.  
  
"Awesome." William said in awe.  
  
"Suit your image, Jonathan, you love Quidditch and Albus transformed you into a Snidget, the bird that was used in Quidditch matches before the Golden Snitch was invented." Don grinned.  
  
"Albus, I think you better change Wood back before some mad Snidget lover see him, Snidget is a very rare bird and its species are protected the Wizards' Council." Michael Johnson said seriously.  
  
Dumbledore pointed his wand at the Snidget, which was flying back to Wood's seat.  
  
SNAP  
  
Wood re-appeared, sitting on his seat.  
  
"Don't you remember that Albus is an expert in Transfigurations, Wood?" Lawrence asked.  
  
"Name a dangerous Muggle plant, Albus." Nicholas, who was an expert in Herbology. "And oh yeah, name its harmful effects as well."  
  
"Pong Pong tree. The sap can cause blindness and the fruits are commonly used by Muggles for poisoning rats." Dumbledore said, smiling.  
  
Thomas Jordan flipped his Care For Magical Creatures textbook quickly, tried to look for a question that Dumbledore couldn't answer. He smiled at his find and asked. "Hey, Albus, would you mind to name all the pure-bred dragon species?" Jordan grinned at Don. There, Dumbledore couldn't possibly answer that.  
  
"Antipodean Opaleye, Chinese Fireball, or sometimes known as Liondragon, Common Welsh Green, Hebridean Black, Hungarian Horntail, Norwegian Ridgeback, Peruvian Vipertooth, Romanian Longhorn, Swedish Short-Snout, and Ukrainian Ironbelly. Need I to say what is the dragon's blood for?" Dumbledore asked without even paused for thinking.  
  
Thomas stared at him in awe and shook his head slowly.  
  
Wood threw up his hands. "Isn't there anything that you don't know?!"  
  
"Yes, I don't know where Minerva is, has anyone of you seen her?"  
  
"No." The boys answered.  
  
"Girls?"  
  
"I think she is in the library." Madeline said, looking up from her Potions textbook.  
  
"No, I think she is in the Greenhouse, looking at the Muggle flowers." A girl answered.  
  
"I think she is in her bedroom, sleeping. It is Sunday after all." Another girl answered.  
  
"I think she is in the common room." Another girl answered.  
  
"I will take that all of you don't know where she is. I will go and look for her in the library, then the Greenhouse, then the common room. See you later." Dumbledore pick up the comic and left.  
  
"What's so good about Minerva? She is too young for him anyway." A 6th year grumbled at the boys.  
  
"Shut up, I'm trying to study." Wood snapped.  
  
  
  
Dumbledore didn't have to look so hard for Minerva, for he have found her in the library, reading her History of Magic textbook.  
  
"Hi, Minerva."  
  
Minerva looked up and Dumbledore gasped. She looked very tired and pale.  
  
"What happened to you?" Dumbldore asked as he sat down beside Minerva.  
  
Minerva stared at her textbook and sighed.  
  
"Minerva, what's wrong?" Dumbledore asked gently.  
  
"Exams. I can't concentrate." Minerva said, slamming her textbook shut and rested her head on the textbook's hard cover.  
  
"How long have you been studying like this?" Dumbledore asked with concern.  
  
"Ever since the exam dates are set." Minerva said without lifting her head from the book.  
  
"Nonstop?" Dumbledore asked again.  
  
Minerva lifted her head, looked at Dumbledore with her weary eyes, nodded and paused. "Well, except mealtimes."  
  
"No wonder." Dumbledore said to himself. "Minerva, you are stressing yourself out. You need to take a break."  
  
"I can't! I have tons to study!" Minerva snapped.  
  
"If you don't take a break, you can't absorb much things into your brain." Dumbledore said firmly, ignoring Minerva's tone. He got up and walked to the Sports section of the library. He returned with a thin green book. "Here, read this." He said and handed the book to Minerva.  
  
Minerva looked at Dumbledore and took the book. "Quidditch Through the Ages." She read slowly.  
  
"Since you are a die-hard Qudditch fan, I think you will like to read this." Dumbledore smiled as Minerva flipped eagerly through the pages.  
  
She smiled. "Thanks."  
  
"Take my advice, study hard but take some time for a break." Dumbledore smiled. "Have you eaten breakfast yet?"  
  
Minerva smiled embarrassedly and shook her head.  
  
"I figure. Come on." Dumbledore took her hand and took her out of the library to the Great Hall.  
  
  
  
The exams came a week later. On the last day of exams, Dumbledore was the first one to finish his questions and he kept on checking his answers for mistakes while waiting for the rest of the class to finish.  
  
Wood was trying his best but his mind always wandered off to the Quidditch pitch outside the castle.  
  
Don and William finished theirs and they doodled on the parchments while waiting for the rest.  
  
Nicholas finished and began to think about how to disturb Malfoy when the exams were over.  
  
Daisy Brown finished hers and started to daydream about her and Dumbledore together but she stopped her daydream when she saw Minerva, who was pondering over her questions. Once Daisy saw Minerva's beautiful appearance and her seriousness over the test, she realized that she couldn't win Albus Dumbledore from Minerva McGonagall.  
  
Madeline finished hers and drew all the 13 professional Quidditch teams players' robe designs on her parchment. For example, a speeding cannon ball and a double 'C' for the Chudley Cannons, two crossed bulrushes for the Puddlemere United, a double T for the Tutshill Tornados, a wasp for the Wimbourne Wasps.....and so on.  
  
Robert and Joe finished theirs and started to plan their break after exams in their minds.  
  
Georgia Sprout finished hers and started to think about Muggle flowers and their names to pass the time.  
  
When the 2 hours were up and the test was announced over, all the students in Hogwarts jumped for joy and started to discuss about what were they going to do after the exams.  
  
"Boy, I'm glad that it is over, I am going back to the common room to read up "Flying with the Cannons"." Wood grinned and ran back to the common room.  
  
"That reminds me! I need to read "Quidditch Teams of Britain and Ireland" !" Madeline said, stuffed her inkbottle in her bag and ran after Wood.  
  
"They were acting like they were rushing to see their lovers." William said.  
  
"Of course they are. Do you remember what Wood said about his love for Quidditch?" Don reminded.  
  
"Oh yeah," William said, lowered his voice a little to imitate Wood. "Quidditch is the best sport in the whole world! I will die if Quidditch is banned!" "I hope that he won't marry a Bludger as his wife." William said in his normal voice.  
  
"Nah, a Bludger is too rough for him. How about a Golden Snitch?" Don asked, trying to keep a straight face.  
  
"Too fast." Nicholas grinned, trying not to laugh.  
  
"Or a Quaffle?" Robert suggested and finally all the Gryffindor students broke down into laughter.  
  
"Look... oh great, I can't stand it.. there's..... Malfoy with Professor Adara." Dumbledore said, wiping his tears out of his eyes.  
  
Slowly, one by one, all of them stopped laughing and looked at Malfoy. Malfoy was asking Professor Adara something and she was answering him and smiling. The Gryffindor boys grinned at each other.  
  
"Oh come on, boys, give him a break." Dumbledore said.  
  
"Sorry, Captain, we can't follow your orders this time, we are itching for teasing." Nicholas said, grinning.  
  
When Professor Adara walked away, the Gryffindor boys approached Malfoy slowly.  
  
"So, what is Aidoneus Malfoy up to this time?" William asked loudly with an unpleasant smile on his face.  
  
Malfoy stopped looking at Professor Adara, blushed and scowled at the Gryffindor boys. "Stay out of this."  
  
"Why? Hmm..looks like Professor Adara likes you. What did she say to you? Meet her tonight in the Slytherin common room?" Don asked, grinning.  
  
Malfoy sneered at them. "For your information, Weasel, (that word wiped Don's grin off his face) I was asking her about my Charms results. She said that I got the first place among the Slytherins."  
  
"Yeah, the first place all right, starting from the back." Nicholas said and the boys started laughing.  
  
Malfoy scowled at them, turned around and stormed away.  
  
  
  
The exams results were finally out. Minerva was glad that she managed to make it into the 1st years' top ten positions in Hogwarts. The Gryffindors congratulated Dumbledore for being the top scholar again for the 6th time in Hogwarts. Malfoy was not lying, his Charms' result was excellent, but his marks were still lower than Dumbledore's.  
  
  
  
The Leaving Feast on the last day of school was wonderful. Gryffindor had won the House Cup. (Malfoy scowled when the Headmaster announced the winner) When Dumbledore was drinking his pink lemonade, he noticed Professor Jupiter and Professor Adara were whispering at each other. Professor Adara giggled and Professor Jupiter smiled. A Gryffindor (Professor Jupiter used to be in Gryffindor) and a Slytherin chatting with each other? That's odd.  
  
"Hey, Minerva, look." He whispered.  
  
Minerva looked up from her mashed potato and Dumbledore indicated the two professors with his head. Minerva looked, gasped and whispered to Madeline. Madeline looked and whispered to Wood. Soon all the Gryffindors noticed what's going on.  
  
"I think Malfoy notices about it too, look." Poppy said, pointing at the Slytherin table. The Gryffindors turned their attention to the Slytherins. Malfoy didn't look happy at the sight of a Gryffindor whispering to a Slytherin, he looked totally green.  
  
"Good, I like to see Malfoy like that." Nicholas said after he had swallowed his peas.  
  
"May I have your attention please?" Professor Dippet called out and the Great Hall went silent.  
  
The Headmaster stood up from his seat. "I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that Professor Adara and Professor Jupiter are not going to be in Hogwarts next year."  
  
"WHAT?!" Malfoy exclaimed. The Slytherins looked as shock as the Gryffindors.  
  
The Great Hall soon filled with the students' protests, groans of disappointment and maybe a bit of cheering from some of the Gryffindors because Professor Adara was not going to teach them Charms again next year. The Slytherins cheered a little too because they didn't like Professor Jupiter's lessons.  
  
"Who is going to teach us Care for Magical Creatures next year?" Thomas asked.  
  
"Aww, I was looking forward to Professor Jupiter's lessons next year." Minerva groaned. "He is such a nice teacher."  
  
"The best." Madeline said sadly.  
  
The Slytherins, however, didn't agree with the Gryffindors.  
  
"Good thing that Professor Jupiter is leaving, he is such a goody-goody." Snape said.  
  
"But why does he has to take Professor Adara with him?" Malfoy asked angrily.  
  
"Who is going to teach us Charms next year?" A Slytherin asked Malfoy.  
  
"I don't know and shut up." Malfoy snapped. Something tells him that the worst had yet to come.  
  
"The good news!" The Headmaster said loudly and the Great Hall quieted down again. "Is the reason why they have to leave Hogwarts."  
  
"Huh? I don't get it." Robert said.  
  
"The good news is Professor Adara and Professor Jupiter are getting married."  
  
"WHAT?!" Malfoy exclaimed again. The Slytherins had their mouths dropped open.  
  
"Is it just me or the Headmaster just said that Professor Adara and Professor Jupiter are getting married?" Minerva asked Dumbledore.  
  
"It is not just you, Minerva, I think all of us heard that." Dumbledore said.  
  
"WHAT? THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!!!" The Slytherins yelled.  
  
"You heard me, they are getting married, to each other. They want to settle down so they decided to quit Hogwarts and teach somewhere else near their residence." The Headmaster said as if that's the most obvious thing in the wizarding world.  
  
The students were too shocked to say anything. A Gryffindor and a Slytherin? Together?  
  
Peter Clearwater found his voice first. "But..I...I thought Gryffindor and Slytherin never get along with each other..you can just compare those two houses to a Gnome and a Jarvey..."  
  
"Well, here's a living proof that Slytherin and Gryffindor can get along." The Headmaster said. "Now enough questions, shall we congratulate them?"  
  
Dumbledore smiled and clapped. The rest of the Gryffindors followed suit. Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff applauded a few moments later. The Slytherins were too shocked to do anything.  
  
"I should have known! No wonder Professor Adara had been so good to us! She was changed by the power of love!" Poppy said, clapping. "This is so romantic." She added dreamily.  
  
"Stop it, Pomfrey, you are giving me goosebumps." Wood said.  
  
"Look at Malfoy!" Joe said and the boys looked at Aidoneus, who looked paler then usual. He pushed his food away and stared sadly at Professor Adara and Professor Jupiter, who were smiling at each other.  
  
"Aww, his love is getting married and he is not the groom." William grinned.  
  
But before Dumbledore could say that William was beginning to act like a Slytherin, William said: "But I pity him. He must be pretty upset."  
  
"I hope that he will get over it next year and start disturbing us again," Nicholas said. "If he doesn't, I am going to miss all the fights and teasing."  
  
  
  
Dumbledore and the rest of the students alighted from the Hogwarts Express at the King's Cross Station, carrying their trunks.  
  
"I can't believe that a year passed by so quickly." Wood sighed and stared at his broomstick. "And next year is my last year to play in the school's Quidditch team and get the Quidditch Cup."  
  
"Our last year. Don't forget about us." William corrected.  
  
"Hey, Albus, do you think that you can be the Head Boy next year?" Don asked.  
  
"I don't care about it much." Dumbledore smiled. "Minerva, have you got it?"  
  
"I got it in my brain and a piece of parchment." Minerva smiled.  
  
"I will be waiting for it." Dumbledore said before they passed through the barrier.  
  
"Waiting for what?" Nicholas asked.  
  
"Letter, Minerva and I exchanged our addresses." Dumbledore smiled happily and called out. "See you after summer, Minerva!" He waved at Minerva, who was waving back at him and she walked away with her parents.  
  
  
  
"So, Minerva, do you have a good time at school?" Mr. McGonagall asked as he put down Minerva's trunk in their living room after they had arrived home.  
  
"It's wonderful, Dad! I get to learn Transfigurations, see a Quidditch match in the school stadium, go to Hogsmeade..."  
  
"Any new friends?" Mrs. McGonagall asked, smiling.  
  
"Yes! There's Madeline Hooch and Jonathan Wood, who are obsessed in Quidditch, Don Weasley and William Potter, who are pals, there's Georgia Spouts, who is very, very good in Herbology...."  
  
"Then who is that young boy that you are waving to?" Mr. McGonagall asked.  
  
"He's Albus Dumbledore." Minerva said, smiling widely. " He is wonderful! He is a Prefect, an expert in every subjects, he is kind and understanding...." Minerva stopped when she saw a mischievous grin on her father's face. "We are just friends."  
  
"Oh really?" Her father's grin widened.  
  
"Really!" Minerva insisted but she doubt that her father believed her. 


	12. Back to Hogwarts

Disclaimer: Aidoneus Malfoy, Don Weasley, William Potter.all Dumbledore and McGonagall's schoolmates and teachers, (except for young Madam Hooch, young Professor Sprouts, Professor Dippet and young Madam Pomfrey) belongs to me. The rest belongs to J.K Rowling.  
  
Chapter 12: Back to Hogwarts  
  
The summer passed by quickly, soon September the first arrived, and all the Hogwarts students needed to get to King's Cross Platform 9 ¾ to get the Hogwarts Express.  
  
"ALBUS! ALBUS, HEY!"  
  
Dumbledore turned around and grinned. All the Gryffindor boys waved at him eagerly. He walked to them, followed by a tall young man with auburn hair. "Hello boys, have a nice summer?"  
  
"It's okay." William said.  
  
"It's boring. I can't practice Quidditch at home, my place is just not suitable for it." Wood grumbled. "By the way, congratulations. I bet that you will be the best Head Boy in Hogwarts ever."  
  
"Yeah, I am not surprise when you send me that owl post, I knew that you will become the Head Boy." Don said.  
  
"If you didn't get to be the Head Boy, I think the Headmaster needs to have his head examined." Robert added.  
  
"I am not that good." Dumbledore smiled.  
  
"Of course you are! You are a good Prefect, I am sure that you can be a good Head Boy." Joe said.  
  
"Good? You count fighting with the Slytherins as good?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"I thought you have already gotten over that stupid incident! Anyway, you do that for McGonagall, so we think that you are still a good Prefect. Why hello, Aberforth! How are you? How's your summer?" Wood smiled at the man behind Dumbledore.  
  
Aberforth, Dumbledore's brother, grinned. "I'm fine. So is my summer. But it's a little frustrated too."  
  
"Why?" Don asked.  
  
"Albus is driving me nuts about this Minerva McGonagall person. Where is she anyway? I have been hearing about her throughout the whole summer from Albus and I am getting curious."  
  
Dumbledore blushed while the Gryffindor boys laughed.  
  
"And there's one thing..." Aberforth said and the boys gathered around to listen. "Albus have been writing letters almost everyday in summer! I saw our owl coming in and out of our house all the time! I bet he is writing to this Minerva."  
  
The boys made the noise "Woohoo!!!" and looked at Dumbledore for his reaction. But Dumbledore didn't seem to be paying attention to them. He was looking around as if he was looking for someone.  
  
"Looks like he is looking for Minerva." William said and the boys looked around the platform for Minerva too.  
  
"Look, there's Madeline Hooch." Wood said.  
  
"And there's Georgia Sprouts." Nicholas said.  
  
"And there's Poppy Pomfrey." William said.  
  
"But where the hell is Minerva?" Don asked. "Don't tell me that she is sick or something happened to her during the holidays..."  
  
"DON!!!" The boys said.  
  
Dumbledore looked at his pocket watch. 3 minutes to 11.00am, the time for the Hogwarts Express to leave King's Cross. And Minerva was still nowhere in sight.  
  
"She's not going to make it." Dumbledore groaned in disappointment. "Come on boys, let's get a compartment..."  
  
"ALBUS!" Someone yelled.  
  
Dumbledore turned and saw Minerva running towards him and the boys. Before he knew what happened, Minerva flung her arms round him and hugged him. Dumbledore was surprised at first but then he recovered and hugged her back. The boys gaped at them while Aberforth looked amused.  
  
"I thought you are not going to make it." Dumbledore smiled when Minerva released him.  
  
"Me either." Minerva smiled back. "I miss you." She added.  
  
"I miss you too. Wait a minute, something has changed." Dumbledore stood straight and stared at Minerva. Last time he saw her, her height was around his chest, now she has grown a few inches.  
  
"You have grown taller."  
  
Minerva just smiled.  
  
"So this is Minerva McGonagall, right Albus?" Aberforth asked. Not waiting for Dumbledore to respond, he added, "You have a very good taste."  
  
Minerva looked at Aberforth curiously.  
  
"Are you Albus' classmate?" She asked.  
  
"Oops, sorry. Let me introduce myself. I'm Aberforth Dumbledore, Albus' older brother." Aberforth smiled and reached out his hand.  
  
Minerva shook it. "Hello." She smiled.  
  
"Albus had been talking about you all summer." Aberforth grinned.  
  
"Hey you two, hurry up! The train is leaving!" Wood yelled from a compartment.  
  
"Coming!" Dumbledore yelled. "Well, goodbye, Aberforth, see you in Christmas." He smiled.  
  
"See you, brother. Goodbye, Miss McGonagall, take care of this brother of mine, he can still gets himself into trouble even if he is the Head Boy now." Aberforth grinned and left.  
  
Dumbledore and Minerva got on the Hogwarts Express just before the whistle blew. They sat down with Wood, Madeline and Nicholas.  
  
"Hi Minerva." Madeline smiled.  
  
"Hi! Have a nice summer?" Minerva asked and both girls started chatting away.  
  
"Looks like she had forgotten about you." Wood grinned to Dumbledore.  
  
"So? I am not the only friend she has." Dumbledore said.  
  
  
  
After the Sorting Ceremony, the Headmaster stood up. He cleared his throat and started: " Welcome to Hogwarts! Or, to the older students, welcome back. Before we started the Feast, I have something to say to you all. In this Christmas holidays, the school is holding a Christmas Ball this year."  
  
"A Christmas Ball?!" Wood exclaimed while the rest of the students gave blank looks to the Headmaster.  
  
"That's right, a Christmas Ball. You know, a large formal occasion at which people dance."  
  
The students began to talk to each other excitedly.  
  
"Settle down, settle down. Now, the ball will be open to all students. You may not have your formal costumes with you right now but not to worry, you can buy them at Gladrags Wizardwear during your visit to Hogsmeade. You must wear dress robes. The ball will start at 9 o'clock on Christmas Eve in the Great Hall. The boys have to ask the girls to be their dance partners; it is a ball after all. (Wood's mouth dropped open when he heard that) If you still have some questions, you may ask your teachers tomorrow. Now, let the feast begin."  
  
The first years were all surprised to see food appearing on the tables so suddenly but then they recovered and started to get their food from the table and to their plates.  
  
"A Christmas Ball? That's ridiculous. Now I have to worry about finding a girl for the ball!" Wood said as he took a chicken drumstick.  
  
"You don't need to. Just grab a broomstick, put a long hair wig and a dress robe on it and you have your dance partner." William said.  
  
"Just that your dance partner is a lot more skinny than the others." Don added.  
  
The boys except Wood laughed.  
  
"Ha ha, very funny. I prefer a human being for a dance partner." Wood snapped. He took a bite on his drumstick and swallowed. "At least Albus don't have to worry about that, he has McGonagall already."  
  
Dumbledore and Minerva blushed and then busied themselves with their eating.  
  
  
  
"Password?" The Fat Lady asked after the feast.  
  
"Holyhead Harpies." Dumbledore said, naming one of the professional Quidditch teams.  
  
"Cool password!" Wood said from behind.  
  
The Fat Lady swung her portrait opened and the Gryffindors went in.  
  
"Welcome to the Gryffindor common room. Boys' dormitories are upstairs to the right and the girls' to the left. You may find your belongings in your bedrooms. Now you must get to bed now, it's rather late and you need to get up early for your lessons tomorrow. Goodnight." Dumbledore said and all students went to the staircase that led to the dormitories.  
  
"Not bad, Albus, you make a good Head Boy." Nicholas grinned and he went upstairs.  
  
Dumbledore smiled and called, "Minerva, can I have a word with you?"  
  
Minerva stopped at the staircase entrance. "Sure. I'll join you later, Madeline."  
  
Dumbledore waited until all the students went upstairs and looked at Minerva.  
  
"Yes?" Minerva asked, smiling.  
  
"Listen," Dumbledore muttered, "I, uh, was wondering... uh, you know, talking about this ball and everything, um, well, I was wondering..." He swallowed nervously.  
  
"Go on."  
  
"I was wondering if you wanted to go with me. You know, be my date?"  
  
Minerva's smile faded. Then her mouth fell open in surprise.  
  
"I mean, if you don't want to, that's all right." Dumbledore mumbled, barely could keep the disappointment in his voice.  
  
"No! I mean, yes! I would love to go with you!" Minerva answered.  
  
"Really?" Dumbledore said, looking extremely relieved. "Great! So, uh, see you tomorrow, goodnight."  
  
"Goodnight." Minerva smiled.  
  
  
  
On the next visit to Hogsmeade, instead of going to the Three Broomsticks or Zonko's Joke Shop or Honeydukes, the Gryffindor girls went to the Gladrags Witchwear (next to Gladrags Wizardwear) to buy their dress robes.  
  
"I just don't know why the hell everyone is so excited about a stupid ball." Madeline grumbled.  
  
"You just say that because you don't have a date." Georgia grinned.  
  
"Oh really? Who's your date?" Madeline challenged.  
  
"Nicholas Longbottom of your house. I thought you already know that." Georgia said as she examined the price tag of moss-coloured dress robes.  
  
"Oh yeah." Madeline said. "Great, everyone got a date! Minerva got Dumbledore, you got Nicholas, Poppy got William, Daisy got Don ..."  
  
"How about Wood?" Minerva asked, looking at the pure white dress robes. It was all whit satin and lace, with delicate trimmings of velvet.  
  
"Him? No way, I think he rather grabs a broomstick and let it to be his dance partner than asking a girl to be his date." Madeline said. "I think the dress robes suit you." She added.  
  
"Really?" Minerva asked, took the dress robes and held it up to let Madeline to see.  
  
"I bet Dumbledore will drop to his knees and propose when he see you in that dress robes." Madeline grinned.  
  
  
  
"Oh come on Wood, what is so difficult about asking a girl for a ball?" Dumbledore asked as he examined the midnight blue dress robes at Gladrags Wizardwear.  
  
"It is easy for you, but not for me." Wood snapped. "Why the hell the Headmaster said that we must have a date?"  
  
"Oh look, the girls are in next door. You can ask one of them to be your date; it's your choice. Either you ask one of them or go to the ball without a date and get teased by Malfoy. It's up to you." Dumbledore said as he paid for his dress robes.  
  
"WHAT? Teased by Malfoy?!" Wood exclaimed.  
  
Dumbledore didn't say anything.  
  
"No way!" Wood said and rushed out of Gladrags Wizardwear.  
  
"Jonathan, hey! Where are you going?!" William yelled.  
  
  
  
Wood marched to the Gladrags Witchwear and found Madeline with the girls outside the shop. "Madeline Hooch!"  
  
"Yes?" Madeline asked and Wood marched to her. Madeline held up her hands. "Wait, did I do something wrong to your broomstick? Or did I say anything wrong about Quidditch?"  
  
Wood stared at her. Madeline backed away a little. "No." Wood said finally.  
  
The Gryffindor boys rushed out of the shop with their purchases and looked at the scene in front of them. Minerva caught Dumbledore's eye and mouthed, "What is going on?"  
  
Dumbledore smiled and mouthed, "I think I know, just watch."  
  
"Look, the ball is coming, every Gryffindor got a date, and we don't, Malfoy is going to tease the both of us when he finds out, so....to prevent that to happen, why don't we stick together during the dance?"  
  
Madeline's mouth fell open.  
  
"So what do you say? Want to go together?" Wood asked impatiently.  
  
"If Wood doesn't change his attitude, I doubt that Madeline will agree." William said flatly.  
  
Madeline shrugged. "Sure, why not? I don't want Malfoy to tease me either."  
  
"Good, see you then." Wood said and walked back to the boys. Before the boys went back to the Gladrags Wizardwear, Dumbledore mouthed to Minerva, "See you later."  
  
Minerva smiled and waved. After the boys left, Minerva turned to Madeline. "Isn't it great? Now every one got a date!"  
  
"He is not my date, we're just going to the ball together." Madeline said, rolling her eyes.  
  
"Whatever. Let's go back in and buy your dress robes." Minerva said and the girls went back into the shop. 


	13. The Christmas Ball

Disclaimer: Aidoneus Malfoy, Don Weasley, William Potter.all Dumbledore and McGonagall's schoolmates and teachers, (except for young Madam Hooch, young Professor Sprouts, Professor Dippet and young Madam Pomfrey) belongs to me. The rest belongs to J.K Rowling.  
  
Chapter 13: The Christmas Ball  
  
"Minerva, time to come out from the bathroom! You have been in there for an hour!" Madeline yelled outside the bathroom in the Girls' Dormitories.  
  
"Just a minute!" Minerva answered from inside.  
  
"That's what you said ten minutes ago! Hurry up!" Poppy said, smoothing out her sky-blue dress robes. "The boys can't just dance by themselves!"  
  
"All right!" The bathroom door opened.  
  
The girls' jaws dropped.  
  
Minerva was wearing her white dress robes; her black hair was caught up in an elegant twist, held in place by a hairpin with small white pearls on it, and a simple bracelet made of pearl shone softly at her left wrist.  
  
"Wow Minerva, you look like...like..." Madeline couldn't find the right word.  
  
"Like a princess?" Poppy asked.  
  
"Exactly! Like a princess!" Madeline said, smiling.  
  
"Thank you." Minerva smiled back. "But I think all of us looked wonderful."  
  
"Not as good as you." Madeline said. She was wearing scarlet red dress robes with golden threads stitched at the seams.  
  
"You look great, you represent our house colours, gold and red." Minerva said.  
  
"You look great too, you are the leader of the Gryffindor girls and the dress suit your image." Madeline said.  
  
"Girls, by the time you two had finished your compliments, I think the ball will be over. You two looked great, all right? Now hurry up, the boys are waiting." A 7th year girl said at the door that led to the staircase.  
  
Madeline and Minerva smiled at each other and went to the door.  
  
"That's the problem with girls, they spent a long time in their rooms before going out and they make the boys to wait for them for ages." Wood complained as he played wizard chess with Nicholas in the common room. "Knight to E5."  
  
"Let's just hope that they don't make us to be late for the ball." Nicholas said as he studied the chessboard carefully. "Queen to E5."  
  
"I don't think they will." Dumbledore said as he took out his pocket watch. "There are ("Argh! Your Queen has crushed my knight!" Wood yelled.) still ten minutes before 9pm."  
  
William just about to open his mouth to say something when he caught sight of the girls at the staircase. His eyes widened and he slapped Don's chest for his attention. Don turned his head to the staircase and his mouth dropped open. Both of them recovered and gave wolf whistles.  
  
Dumbledore turned around and he saw Minerva in her dress robes. Minerva walked towards him and smiled. Dumbledore was totally stunned by her beauty.  
  
"You...you looked wonderful." Dumbledore said softly.  
  
"So do you." Minerva said, looking at his blue robes.  
  
Dumbledore smiled and offered her his arm. Minerva took it and they proceeded to the Great Hall.  
  
The Great Hall was beautiful; snowflakes were hovering at the ceiling, the house tables had vanished and hollies were covering the walls. Christmas trees decorated with fairies, candy canes and silver bells were standing near the walls with a few metres away from each other.  
  
Dumbledore and Minerva had been dancing since they had gotten here. Now they were dancing slowly to the last song of the ball, "Silent Night". Nicholas and Georgia danced, and tried not to step on each other's dress robes. Madeline and Wood stick close together, but they didn't dance. They were discussed about Quidditch. William was dancing with Poppy and Poppy was giggled at William's jokes. Don was dancing with Daisy but Daisy kept on giving envious glance at Dumbledore and Minerva.  
  
Dumbledore looked at his dance partner. "Minerva?"  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"Can you stay with me for a while in the common room after the ball?" Dumbledore asked. "Sure."  
  
"The sky is beautiful tonight, isn't it?" Dumbledore asked, looking up.  
  
"I agree." Minerva said, looking up at the ceiling too.  
  
Without looking where they were going, they accidentally bumped into someone else.  
  
"Oops! So sorry, I...." Dumbledore stopped when he saw who was the one he was bumping to.  
  
Malfoy scowled. "Watch where you are going, Bumblebee." He was wearing black robes with a silver snake pin on his chest. He had a dance partner who has long, straight black hair and green eyes. She was wearing purple dress robes that made her to look like a gypsy.  
  
"Is she your dance partner?" Dumbledore asked, trying to be friendly.  
  
"Of course she is, who else do you think she is, my mother?" Malfoy snapped as if he was talking to an idiot.  
  
Dumbledore didn't say anything.  
  
Malfoy turned his attention to Minerva and he raised his eyebrows at her. "Nice outfit, McGonagall. Suit your image as the Queen of the Gryffindors."  
  
Minerva scowled. Dumbledore figured that the situation would get worse if they stayed here so he grabbed Minerva's wrist and rushed out of the Great Hall.  
  
  
  
"Albus, let go!" Minerva shook off Dumbledore's hand when they finally stopped in the empty Gryffindor common room. "How can you be so calm when Malfoy insulted you? I could have slapped him or put a curse on him myself!"  
  
"Look, if you cursed him, you will get a detention." Dumbledore said. "Do you know what's the detention like? Hanging by the wrists from the ceiling for a day or more, depends on how serious it is. I don't want you to get detention."  
  
"Everything is so perfect until he came along." Minerva grumbled. "Now our last dance is ruined."  
  
"Not exactly." Dumbledore said.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Wait here." Dumbledore said and went back to the Boys' Dormitories. He came back with his wand and he waved it.  
  
The song "Silent Night" filled the air in the common room. Dumbledore put away his wand and offered her his hand. Minerva smiled, took it and they started dancing silently in the common room. Minerva sighed. Everything is so... so... romantic. When the song stopped, Dumbledore looked into Minerva's eyes.  
  
"Close your eyes."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Just close them."  
  
Minerva stared at Dumbledore with one eyebrow raised.  
  
"Oh come on, it's a surprise."  
  
Minerva smiled a little and closed her eyes for a moment.  
  
"All right, you can open your eyes now."  
  
Minerva opened her eyes and gasped. Dumbledore was holding a bouquet of 7 roses, and every rose has a different colour. Minerva looked at all of them. There's red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.  
  
"This is for you. Merry Christmas." Dumbledore smiled and handed Minerva the bouquet.  
  
Minerva took the bouquet. She stared at them for a moment and then caressed the roses. She found her voice at last. "Thank you. Oh my, Albus, how did you get roses with so many different colours?"  
  
"They are all white actually. Except for the red rose." Dumbledore admitted and grinned. "I made 6 potions with 6 different colours and put the 6 white roses in the 6 bottles that contains the potions. 2 days later and they became like this."  
  
Minerva gazed at the roses lovingly but then frowned.  
  
"What's the matter, did you see any white spots on the petals of the roses?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
Minerva shook her head and stared at the roses sadly. "I thought that it would be quite a pity to see them wilt."  
  
"They won't. I put a charm on them so that they remain like this forever." Dumbledore smiled.  
  
"Thank you." Minerva smiled back. "Wait here, I got something for you." Minerva ran to the Girls' Dormitories.  
  
"You don't..." Dumbledore started and Minerva disappeared upstairs. "...Have to." He finished.  
  
Minerva came back without the bouquet but a beautifully wrapped gift in her hands. "Here, I hope you like it. Merry Christmas."  
  
Dumbledore sat down on a sofa and opened it. Minerva sat down beside him. A smile came across Dumbledore's face. "A music box." He opened it and his smile widened as he listened to the music. "Chamber music. Thank you, I love it." Dumbledore closed the box and he and Minerva gazed at each other.  
  
Minerva wished that this moment could last forever but then unfortunately; it didn't last because Wood and the others came into the common room noisily at that moment.  
  
Dumbledore tore his gaze away from Minerva and grinned at Wood. "Hi Wood, having a good time?"  
  
"Oops, did we come in at the wrong time?" Wood asked, ignoring Dumbledore's question.  
  
"I think we did." William grinned.  
  
"Stop it, boys." Dumbledore said, his cheeks going red.  
  
"Aye, Captain." William said, moving his right hand to his head. He turned his attention to the music box on Dumbledore's lap. "Oy, you have not given me my Christmas present yet." He said, nudging Wood in his ribs.  
  
  
  
"That ball isn't so bad, I guess." Madeline said, flopping down on her bed.  
  
"Because you get to talk about Quidditch throughout the ball." Daisy said, brushing her hair. When she put the brush down, she caught sight of Minerva's roses. "Wow! What a lovely bouquet of roses! Who gave it to you, Minerva?"  
  
"Who else beside the leader of the Gryffindor boys?" Madeline grinned at Minerva through the curtains hangings.  
  
"Dumbledore?! Ooooo, I'm going to be the green-eyed monster." Daisy said angrily. She smiled when she saw Minerva's pale face. "Gotcha! Just kidding."  
  
"So, how did he propose?" Madeline asked, sitting up on her bed.  
  
"What propose? That's just my Christmas present." Minerva said, sitting down on her bed in her nightgown.  
  
"Aw, you are no fun." Madeline pouted. She went quiet for a while and then opened her mouth again. "Minerva, I saw Dumbledore taking you out of the Great Hall just now. What are you two doing?"  
  
"I am not telling." Minerva said, lying down on her bed.  
  
"Oh come on, Minerva..." Madeline started.  
  
Minerva got out of her bed and gave Madeline a soft smile. "No way. Goodnight." She smiled again at Madeline and Daisy and drew her curtains shut. 


	14. The Quidditch Final

Disclaimer: Aidoneus Malfoy, Don Weasley, William Potter.all Dumbledore and McGonagall's schoolmates and teachers, (except for young Madam Hooch, young Professor Sprouts, Professor Dippet and young Madam Pomfrey) belongs to me. The rest belongs to J.K Rowling.  
  
Thank you for all your reviews! : ) I'm glad that all of you like this. : )  
  
Chapter 14: The Quidditch Final  
  
A year has passed by and finally Wood's favorite event, the Quidditch Final, arrived.  
  
"All right, boys, this is it!" Wood said excitedly, walking back and forth in the changing room in his scarlet Quidditch robes. "The one we've all been waiting for, the Quidditch Finals! We will show the Slytherins and win the Cup for Gryffindor!"  
  
"Wood, can you stop walking? You are making us dizzy. Anyway, we win the Cup every year since we are here so don't be so excited." William said, folding his arms.  
  
Wood stopped dead on his tracks, turned around and marched towards William. William backed away a little.  
  
"What do you mean by don't be so excited?! This is our last year in Hogwarts! What will the Gryffindor students say if we lose this match?!" Wood yelled hysterically.  
  
William held up his hands. "All right! All right! We will try our best."  
  
Wood glared at him.  
  
"Our very best!" William said quickly. "We promise! Right, boys?"  
  
"Yeah!" The team yelled.  
  
Wood smiled. "That's better. Now don't forget all the difficult moves that have been invented by witches and wizards during the past Quidditch matches."  
  
"We won't." Don grinned. "They are the keys to our victory."  
  
  
  
"Here comes are the Gryffindors!" Jordan yelled and his voice was drowned by the Slytherins' yells of disgust.  
  
"And here comes the Slytherins! I hope they will lose again this year.."  
  
"Jordan!" Professor Isidis growled.  
  
"I can't help it, Professor. I am a Gryffindor! Anyway, here comes the referee Professor Hawkshead!"  
  
Professor Hawkshead, a young, energetic man stepped into the field, carrying a box that contained the Quaffle, the Bludgers and the golden Snitch and he was holding a broomstick. He put the things down. "Now I want a nice clean game from all of you. Especially your team, Malfoy." He added, staring at Malfoy and his team pointedly.  
  
Malfoy scowled.  
  
"Now, Captains, shake hands!"  
  
Malfoy and Wood just glared at each other.  
  
"Come on, hurry up." Professor Hawkshead said impatiently.  
  
Malfoy and Wood reached out their hands, shook them and let go quickly. Wood and Malfoy wiped their hands on their robes as if they had touched something disgusting.  
  
Professor Hawkshead kicked the box opened and let out the balls.  
  
"Mount your brooms. On my whistle, 3,2,1..." Professor Hawkshead blew his whistle and 14 brooms zoomed off into the air.  
  
"And the game begin! Now it is Gryffindor in possession, Don Weasley of Gryffindor with the Quaffle flies upwards, to Great Wizards know where, Aidoneus Malfoy flies after him to get the Quaffle..."  
  
"You can't escape me, Weasel!" Malfoy yelled.  
  
"Ha!" Don sneered.  
  
"Ooooo, I can see Weasley is sneering, it is obvious that he hates Malfoy..."  
  
"Jordan, the commentary!" Professor Isidis yelled.  
  
"Oh yeah, and....wait a minute, what is Weasley doing? He is throwing down the Quaffle! And he is not anywhere near the goalposts! Is he mad?!"  
  
Yells of protests came from the Gryffindor students. Dumbledore and his friends didn't say anything because they knew what's going on.  
  
"Wait! Wait! Weasley is actually passing the Quaffle downwards to Michael Johnson of Gryffindor, who is waiting a few feet under him!"  
  
Cheers came from Gryffindor this time. They waved their small Gryffindor flags enthusiastically.  
  
Malfoy looked paler than usual and shot downwards to Michael. Michael caught the Quaffle, saw Malfoy and raced off towards the goalposts.  
  
"It's the Porskoff Ploy move." Minerva observed.  
  
"Boy, Malfoy doesn't look good, does he? Now Gryffindor is still in possession... LOOK OUT MICHAEL! THAT'S A BLUDGER!" Jordan yelled into the megaphone so loudly that Professor Isidis had to cover his ears.  
  
Michael's eyes widened and ducked.  
  
ZOOM  
  
"Whew, that was close! Michael Johnson is going near the goalposts and....OH NO!"  
  
Groans came from Gryffindor while applause came from Slytherin as the Slytherin Keeper swerved around all three-goal hoops at high speed to block the Quaffle.  
  
"It's the Double Eight Loop move. This doesn't look good." Madeline groaned.  
  
The Slytherin Keeper caught hold of the Quaffle and threw it to his teammate.  
  
"Now it is Slytherin in possession...."  
  
A Slytherin Beater, Flint, narrowed his eyes at Don, he whistled loudly to another Slytherin Beater and they joined together.  
  
"Higgs of Slytherin with the Quaffle is now going towards the goalposts....oh I can't look..wait, what are the two Slytherin Beaters doing?"  
  
A Bludger rushed towards Flint and the other Beater. They waved their bats and WHAM! They hit the Bludger together at the same time. The Bludger flew towards Don and WHAM!  
  
"Aaahhhhh!!!!!!"  
  
"BOO!!!!!!" The Gryffindors yelled while the Slytherins cheered and waved their Slytherin flags happily.  
  
Wood's eyes went widened with horror and signaled to Professor Hawkshead frantically. Professor Hawkshead nodded and blew his whistle. "TIME OUT!!!"  
  
Malfoy's mouth dropped opened. "WHAT?! But..." He stopped and flew down angrily towards the ground with the rest.  
  
The moment Don let go of his broomstick; he spat out blood and fell down in a dead faint.  
  
"Aaahhhh!!! Don!" Wood yelled, dropped to his knees and tried to wake Don up.  
  
"GET HIM TO THE HOSPITAL WING!!!" Professor Hawkshead yelled to the paramedics at the side of the field.  
  
After Don was gone, Wood stood up quickly and glared at Malfoy's team. "YOU! How dare you!" He yelled with a blaze of anger in his eyes. "Professor Hawkshead! That's a foul! They nearly killed my Chaser!"  
  
"It isn't a foul! It is a move call Dopplebeater Defence!" Flint protested.  
  
Professor Hawkshead nodded. "Right, take the penalty later."  
  
Wood swallowed. "But what about Don?!"  
  
"And the rules say that in the case of injury, no substitution of players will take place. The team will play on without the injured player." Professor Hawkshead said, cleared his throat and picked up his broomstick. "Now, let's continue."  
  
"Who made that stupid rule?!" William protested.  
  
Wood was saddened by Professor Hawkshead's words. He lowered his head for a while. He looked up and glared at Malfoy's team. "You... despicable snakes! We will get you for this!"  
  
Malfoy and his teammates just smirked.  
  
  
  
"Now the players are back to their positions, and oh no, Don Weasley is not there." Jordan groaned with the rest of the Gryffindors.  
  
Professor Hawkshead blew his whistle and Michael flew forward to take the penalty.  
  
"Now Eric Spinnet of Gryffindor is taking the penalty! COME ON, ERIC! DO IT FOR DON!!!! AND HE SCORES! TEN POINTS FOR GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
Cheers came from the Gryffindors loudly.  
  
"And now it is still Gryffindor in possession! Michael is now going in a WOW! A high-speed zig-zagging movement!"  
  
"That's the Woollongong Shimmy move! Go Michael!" Nicholas yelled as loudly as possible.  
  
"And Michael has thrown the Slytherins Chasers off! Michael zoomed to the Slytherin goalpost with the Quaffle and...HE SCORES! ANOTHER TEN POINTS FOR GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
The Slytherins groaned and booed while the Gryffindors cheered and a few boys waved their enormous Gryffindor flag happily.  
  
"Now it is Slytherin in possession, Higgs is now flying towards the goalposts with the Quaffle! Come on, Gryffindor keeper! Save it!" Jordan yelled.  
  
The Gryffindor keeper, Kenneth Bell, held his broom horizontally with one hand and one foot curled around the handle and kept all his limbs outstretched. The Quaffle flew to him and he saved it with his right arm.  
  
"And Kenneth save it with the Starfish and Stick move! Haahahahaha!!!!!! Take that! You evil slimy nasty...." Jordan cried into the megaphone.  
  
"JORDAN!" Professor Isidis thundered.  
  
"Good work, Kenneth!" Wood yelled happily, as he zoomed past Kenneth, chasing after a Bludger.  
  
"Now Gryffindor in possess...wait a minute, is that the Golden Snitch near the Slytherin goalposts?"  
  
William turned his head sharply to the goalposts, caught sight of the Snitch and zoomed towards it. He ducked a Bludger on the way and continued. The Slytherin Seeker flew as fast as lightning towards the Snitch too.  
  
"GO WILLIAM!" Dumbledore and his friends yelled.  
  
"Come on, hurry up!" William urged his broomstick, chasing the Snitch with the Slytherin Seeker.  
  
"WILLIAM! USE THE P.P!" Wood yelled, hitting a Bludger to Malfoy.  
  
William held out an arm, swerved and.... scooped the Snitch up to his sleeve.  
  
"I caught it!" William yelled, putting his hand into his sleeve and got the Snitch out, while the Slytherin Seeker gaped at his move.  
  
"What the...." Jordan started and shrugged. "Oh well, William Potter of Gryffindor had caught the Snitch !"  
  
Professor Hawkshead blew his whistle. "Gryffindor wins!"  
  
"WHAT KIND OF MOVE IS THAT?!" The Slytherin Seeker yelled angrily to Professor Hawkshead.  
  
"That's the Plumpton Pass move." Professor Hawkshead said calmly.  
  
The stadium exploded. All right, to be more actual, half of the stadium exploded. Dumbledore grabbed Minerva's hand. "Come on!" He pulled her to jump across the barrier along with the other Gryffindors and onto the pitch. Wood and the others landed and they congratulated William. "We did it! We have shown Slytherin! I wish Don could see this!" Michael yelled, slapping William on the back. Professor Dippet and Professor Isidis gave each other a high-five. Jordan danced around his place happily with the megaphone still in his hands. Malfoy and his teammates just scowled.  
  
"Come on! Let's get the Cup!" Wood yelled happily, gathering all his teammates and rushed to the stands, where the Headmaster was with the Quidditch Cup. The Headmaster shook his hand with Wood and handed the Cup to Wood. Wood grinned and handed the Cup to William. William bowed with the rest of the teammates and he held it high up and the Gryffindors cheered loudly. "Three cheers for the Gryffindor Team!" Dumbledore yelled and the Gryffindors cheered.  
  
Malfoy glared at the Gryffindors and noticed that Dumbledore was holding Minerva's hand all this while. He frowned. Dumbledore always got the best of everything. He was the top scholar, the Head Boy, an expert in Transfiguration, the leader of the Gryffindor boys, and he even knows how to get himself a girlfriend.....  
  
Wait a second.  
  
An evil smile came across his face slowly. He knew what he could do to upset Dumbledore.  
  
All he has to do now is wait. 


	15. Graduation

Disclaimer: Aidoneus Malfoy, Don Weasley, William Potter.all Dumbledore and McGonagall's schoolmates and teachers, (except for young Madam Hooch, young Professor Sprouts, Professor Dippet and young Madam Pomfrey) belongs to me. The rest belongs to J.K Rowling.  
  
Thank you for all your reviews! : ) I'm glad that all of you like this. : )  
  
Chapter 15: Graduation  
  
"Too bad Don isn't there to see us receiving the Cup...." Wood said glumly when the portrait of the Fat Lady swung open in the common room.  
  
"Hi guys!"  
  
Wood and the rest of the players brightened up. "Don!"  
  
The moment Don stepped into the common room; he received hugs and slaps on his back.  
  
"Glad to see you, Don!"  
  
"You should see what happen to the match after you are gone, Don! We flatten them by 170-0!!!"  
  
"By the way, how's your injury?" Dumbledore said, smiling.  
  
"It's all right, the nurse gave me some chocolates and healed my injury. Now I am as good as new." Don grinned.  
  
"Great!" Wood said happily, grabbed the Quidditch Cup from the table and gave it to Don. "See? We won the Cup! The Headmaster let us to keep this for you to see it."  
  
"Whoa." Don stared at the Cup admiringly and caressed it. His smile faded.  
  
"What's the matter? See some stains on it?" Wood said anxiously.  
  
"No. I was thinking that if only I looked out for that Bludger, I could at least score a goal for Gryffindor..." Don stopped and sighed.  
  
"It wasn't your fault. You don't have eyes at the back of your head to look out for that nasty Bludger. It's the Slytherins' fault, they used the Dopplebeater Defence." Wood said, patting Don's shoulder. "Come on, let's celebrate! I think we have some Cauldron Cakes here in this pile of sweets somewhere..." Wood steered Don to the table that was piled with Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans, Droobles Best Blowing Gum, Chocolates Frogs, Pumpkin Pasties, Liquorice Wands and a lot more others. "Ah! Here's one." Wood said, shoving the pile of Acid Pops aside, grabbed a Cauldron Cake and gave it to Don.  
  
Don grinned. "Thanks."  
  
"Hey Don, any plans after graduation?" William said as he bite the head off his Chocolate Frog.  
  
"Me? I dunno." Don said, taking a bite off his Cauldron Cake.  
  
"Me either. Wood?"  
  
"Sign up for the Puddlemere United reserve team, I guess. What about you, Albus?"  
  
Dumbledore shrugged. "I don't know either."  
  
Graduation. The word struck Minerva like lightning. This year was Dumbledore's last year in Hogwarts. She won't be seeing him again next year. Sure, they could still write to each other, but it wasn't the same. She wouldn't be seeing him sucking his lemon drops when he was studying in the common room again. She wouldn't be seeing him playing and laughing with Wood and the others again. She wouldn't be... she lowered down her head, munching her pumpkin tart slowly. Dumbledore is leaving Hogwarts.  
  
"Hey Albus, Professor Dippet, Professor Isidis and the Headmaster are looking for you." A Gryffindor Prefect said, coming into the common room.  
  
"Me? Why?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
The Prefect shrugged. "I dunno."  
  
"All right, I am coming." Dumbledore said, getting up from his seat. "Don't eat up all of the sweets when I am gone." He ordered.  
  
"We won't, Captain." William grinned.  
  
After Dumbledore had gone, Robert turned to William. "Aw, it's too bad that you guys are leaving, Gryffindor will not be the same without you."  
  
Minerva sighed, stood up from her seat, went to the window, and rested her head against the metal frame. She gazed up at the starry night sky. Robert was right. Gryffindor will not be the same without Dumbledore and his friends.  
  
  
  
30 minutes later, Dumbledore came back with a grin on his face. "That's a very long meeting, Albus. What do the three Professors want?" Joe asked.  
  
"I can't tell you. It's a surprise for the 1st years to the 6th years. However, I can tell the 7th years since they are leaving Hogwarts anyway." Dumbledore said, still grinning.  
  
"What is it?" Wood asked eagerly.  
  
"Later." Dumbledore said firmly and saw Minerva's empty seat. He looked around and saw her standing at the window, staring at the sky. He left the noisy crowd at the center of the common room and joined her at the window. "Minerva?"  
  
Minerva didn't respond.  
  
"Minerva?" He asked, louder this time.  
  
Minerva turned around "Oh, hi."  
  
"Minerva, your eyes...."  
  
"What?"  
  
"They are red and watery. Did Snape bully you again?"  
  
Minerva sniffed and shook her head. "I just thought that...."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I will miss you when you left Hogwarts." She said in a voice with emotion.  
  
Dumbledore reached out and patted her on the shoulder. "You won't miss me." He said.  
  
Minerva wiped the tears away from her eyes. "What do you mean by that?"  
  
Dumbledore smiled. "You will see. I have a surprise for you next year."  
  
Minerva stared at him, puzzled. Dumbledore was leaving Hogwarts and that's a fact. Nothing will make Minerva to forget about him.  
  
  
  
On the morning of Graduation Day, Dumbledore's friends visited their teachers to say goodbye. During the afternoon, they were fighting over the mirrors in the bathroom to see how they looked in their graduation robes and their wizard hats. A few hours later, Professor Isidis gathered the 7th year Gryffindor students and bring them to the Great Hall. And then he came back to get the rest of the Gryffindor students. When Minerva and her friends arrived, they stared in awe at the decorations in the Great Hall. Lots of Forget-Me-Not was hovering at the ceiling. Banners were hung from the walls and they each represented a Hogwarts house: Gold and red for Gryffindor, silver and green for Slytherin, black and yellow for Hufflepuff and bronze and blue for Ravenclaw. A huge banner that bore the Hogwarts coat of arms: lion, eagle, badger and snake united around a large letter "H" was hanging behind the teachers' table.  
  
Once they had all settle down, (the 7th years were not with them) the Headmaster made his speech and Professor Dippet took out a scroll.  
  
"Now, I am going to call out the 7th years names and they will come out to get their certificates. Be nice and clap for them." Professor Dippet said and glared at the Slytherins as if he was saying: "Or else."  
  
Professor Dippet opened the scroll. He passed the 'A's, and he got to 'B' for Lawrence Brown, Daisy started sobbing.  
  
"Oh, Larry is a graduate now! I wish Mum and Dad could see this! They will be so proud!"  
  
When Professor Dippet got to 'D' for Dumbledore, Minerva noticed that all the teachers were glaring at the Slytherins, as if they were daring the Slytherins to do something nasty.  
  
Dumbledore stepped out into the Great Hall, shook the Headmaster's hand and got his certificate. As he bowed, the Gryffindors applauded as loudly as possible while some of the girls screamed excitedly. Minerva smiled. She had to admit that Dumbledore looked drop-dead gorgeous in his graduation robes.  
  
"Sorry girls, but Albus Dumbledore is taken by Minerva McGonagall." Madeline grinned as Professor Dippet passed 'E'.  
  
"Madeline!" Minerva protested, her face turned beetroot.  
  
"What?" Madeline asked innocently.  
  
Then it was Flint, then Higgs, then Nicholas, then Malfoy (the Slytherins was clapping loudly when Professor Dippet called out his name)  
  
"Great! Malfoy is gone, we can live in peace!" Robert grinned.  
  
"Don't forget Snape." Joe said.  
  
Robert groaned. "Oh great, thanks a lot, Joe."  
  
Then William, ("There he goes. Our Gryffindor prankster." Joe said flatly.) Then Don, ("There goes another one." Robert sighed.") Then Wood. ("There goes the best Captain." Michael Johnson groaned.)  
  
When Professor Dippet had finished, Minerva clapped along with the rest of the students. When the applause died down, the Headmaster announced the end of the Graduation Ceremony and the 7th years cheered and threw their wizard hats up in the air.  
  
  
  
"Hey, William, let me see your certificate.." Joe said when everyone had gone back to his or her dormitories. The Gryffindors remained in the Great Hall, congratulated their seniors.  
  
"Hey, anyone here wants to take a photograph?" Robert asked.  
  
"You have a camera?" Wood asked back.  
  
"Of course." Robert said, taking out a camera from his inside pocket.  
  
"Sure, why not?! It's our last year in Hogwarts." Dumbledore grinned and gathered all his friends.  
  
"All right, Albus, you sit at the front, Minerva, you sit beside him..." Robert instructed and soon, Dumbledore, Minerva, Madeline, Poppy, William, Don, Wood, Daisy, Lawrence, Joe were sitting together in 2 rows. Robert adjusted his camera, put it down in front of them, rushed to them and sat with them.  
  
"Everyone say Gryffindor!" Dumbledore called.  
  
"Gryffindor!" They roared.  
  
FLASH  
  
  
  
Malfoy peered through the slightly ajar double doors and narrowed his eyes at Dumbledore and Minerva. He folded his arms, turned around and looked at the boy in the shadows front of him.  
  
"Look, I want you to watch closely at Minerva McGonagall when I am gone. Report to me if there's anything going on between her and Albus Dumbledore."  
  
"What's the reward?"  
  
"Name your price." "Galleons." The boy said shortly.  
  
Malfoy gave a cold smile. "How's 7 Galleons sounds?"  
  
Snape came out of the shadows. He gave a small smile. "Deal." 


	16. Minerva's Big Surprise

Disclaimer: Aidoneus Malfoy, Don Weasley, William Potter.all Dumbledore and McGonagall's schoolmates and teachers, (except for young Madam Hooch, young Professor Sprouts, Professor Dippet and young Madam Pomfrey) belongs to me. The rest belongs to J.K Rowling.  
  
Thank you for all your reviews! : ) I'm glad that all of you like this. : )  
  
Chapter 16: Minerva's Big Surprise  
  
"Boy, Gryffindor is going to be much more quieter this year without the ex- Gryffindor boys. Wood is not around talking about Quidditch, William and Don are not around teasing Malfoy and Dumbledore is not around to explain to us about Transfiguration again." Madeline said as she looked boringly out of the window on the Hogwarts Express. Summer came and gone quickly and Minerva and her friends were on their 3rd year in Hogwarts.  
  
"Madeline!" Poppy hissed angrily.  
  
"What?" Madeline asked, turning her head to look at Poppy.  
  
Poppy pointed at Minerva, who was sitting across Poppy, Georgia and Madeline, staring outside the window gloomily.  
  
"Oops." Madeline said slowly.  
  
"Errr...want some Droobles Best Blowing Gum, Minerva?" Poppy asked and Madeline elbowed her in the ribs. Minerva just sighed and shook her head slowly without even looking at them.  
  
"What?"  
  
Madeline whispered to Poppy about what had happened in Hogsmeade's Honeydukes during Minerva's first year.  
  
"Oops." Poppy said slowly.  
  
"I think we better keep our mouths shut before we upset her even further." Madeline whispered and the other girls nodded.  
  
  
  
"Wait a minute, where's Professor Isidis?" Minerva asked as she and her friends sat down in the Great Hall before the Sorting Ceremony started.  
  
"Maybe he's sick." Madeline suggested.  
  
But Madeline was wrong. After the Sorting Ceremony, the Headmaster stood up and announced that Professor Isidis had resigned for some personal reasons.  
  
"What? Who is going to teach us Transfiguration now?" Robert asked.  
  
Joe shrugged. "Searches me."  
  
As if he had heard Robert, the Headmaster said, "As for the new Transfiguration teacher, well, he's not here yet. But you will see him tomorrow. Let the feast begin."  
  
"Boy, I think that the jobs at Hogwarts are jinxed. First it is Professor Adara and Professor Jupiter who left, now it is Professor Isidis. I wonder who is going next?" Robert said as he attacked his mashed potatoes.  
  
"Maybe they left because you are around." Joe grinned.  
  
"Ha ha, very funny." Robert said dryly.  
  
Minerva watched at her friends with amusement.  
  
"What? Is there mash potatoes stains on my face?" Robert asked.  
  
Minerva smiled and shook her head. "No. I just think that you two are as same as William and Don."  
  
Robert thought for a while. "Hey, Joe and I can be substitutes for William and Don! Madeline can be Wood ("What kind of stupid idea is that?" Madeline asked) Georgia can be Nicholas, Poppy can be...errrrr...which ex-Gryffindor does Poppy resemble the most?"  
  
Joe shrugged.  
  
"Oh well. And Minerva can be Albus...." Robert stopped when he saw Minerva's smile faded. "Oops." He whispered.  
  
Madeline looked at Robert, then Minerva, and then Robert again. "Errr...pumpkin tarts, Minerva?" She asked, holding the plate to Minerva.  
  
Minerva turned to Madeline, gave a faint smile and took one. "Thanks."  
  
Robert gave a sigh of relief.  
  
  
  
The next morning, Minerva and Madeline were running down the hallway with their Transfiguration textbook in their hands.  
  
"Great, just great!" Madeline said as they ran, "First day of school and we are going to be late for our Transfiguration lesson. And to make the matter worse, a new teacher is teaching it! I bet that he won't have a good impression of us!"  
  
They run down the stairs and to the Transfiguration classroom. They stopped at the closed door and stared at it.  
  
"You go in first." Minerva said nervously.  
  
Madeline swallowed. "All right, then I will tell you if the coast is clear." Then she knocked the door, opened it and went in, yelling, "Sorry that I am late, Professor!"  
  
For a moment it was silence. Then Minerva nearly dropped her Transfiguration textbook when she heard Madeline screaming, "I CAN'T BELIVE IT! MINERVA!!!!!!!"  
  
Minerva clutched her textbook tightly, too shocked to move an inch. What happened to Madeline?  
  
"MINERVA!!!" Madeline shrieked.  
  
Minerva took a deep breath. "All right, relax." She pushed open the door and went in. The first thing she saw was Madeline, standing in the middle of the class with her mouth wide open, the Slytherins looking terribly ugly and the Gryffindors looking pleased.  
  
"What is it?" Minerva asked anxiously.  
  
"Dumb...dumb..." is the only thing Madeline could say.  
  
"What?" Minerva asked again and looked over Madeline's shoulder. She gasped and dropped her Transfiguration textbook. She blinked and looked again. No, it was real! It's too good to be true!  
  
Sitting on the teacher's desk at the front of the class was none other than Albus Dumbledore.  
  
  
  
Dumbledore grinned and folded his arms. "Hello, good to see you again."  
  
Madeline could do nothing but gawked at Dumbledore.  
  
"You are our new Transfiguration teacher?" Minerva said breathlessly.  
  
Dumbledore continued grinning. "Surprising, isn't it? Now will you two sit down? The lesson is going to start."  
  
Minerva quickly picked up her textbook and grabbed Madeline to their regular seats.  
  
"Now, I guess I don't need to introduce myself. But I must tell all of you that even if I am from Gryffindor, I will be fair to all of you. Which means, I can give the Gryffindors detentions or cutting off points away from Gryffindor when they are in wrong."  
  
Minerva saw Robert and Joe looked a bit disappointed.  
  
"Now, let's start with our first lessons. Anyone knows what's an Animagus is?"  
  
  
  
After lessons, Minerva and Madeline gathered their parchments and rushed to the teacher's desk. Minerva got there first and hugged Dumbledore as tightly as she could.  
  
"Minerva, give me some air!" Dumbledore said breathlessly, but grinning at the same time.  
  
"Oops, sorry." Minerva smiled and let him go.  
  
"Hey, why didn't you tell us that you are the new Transfiguration teacher, Albus?" Robert asked.  
  
"Like I said last year, it's a surprise."  
  
"Yeah, it's a really big surprise. We are so shock when we came in and saw you." Joe grinned.  
  
"Not as shock as Madeline, her screams can tear Hogwarts down." Robert teased.  
  
"Oh shut up." Madeline snapped. "By the way, Dumbledore, how did you get the job?"  
  
"Simple. Last year, the three professors called me in if you remember.... They wanted to find a new teacher for Transfiguration and....they thought that my Transfiguration skills is pretty good so...."  
  
But Dumbledore was cut off by Joe, who exclaimed in shock, "What do you mean by pretty good?! All the Gryffindor students say that you are the expert in Transfiguration!"  
  
Dumbledore just smiled.  
  
Robert frowned. "Hey wait a minute, isn't that mean that we have to address you as Professor Dumbledore?"  
  
"Whatever that suits you." Dumbledore said as he arranged the parchments on his desk. "Now if you don't hurry up, I think you are going to be late for your next lesson. What lesson is that?"  
  
"Oh yeah! Robert and I need to get to North Tower for Divination lessons! It will take a while to get there, see you Albus!" Joe called before he and Robert rushed off.  
  
"What is so good about Divination? It is completely rubbish." Minerva said under her breath.  
  
"What about you girls?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"We got Muggle Studies." Minerva said, smiling.  
  
"You better get going." Dumbledore said as he sat down on his seat.  
  
"All right." Minerva said and she, Madeline and Daisy walked towards the door.  
  
"Don't forget your Transfiguration homework!" Dumbledore called.  
  
"We won't!" Minerva called back. "Bye!"  
  
  
  
As the girls walked to the Muggle Studies classroom, Madeline was amused to see Minerva humming softly to herself.  
  
"Minerva, I have not seen you this happy since last year." Madeline said, smiling.  
  
Minerva sighed happily. "Isn't great that Albus is our Transfiguration teacher now?"  
  
"Yeah, now we don't have to worry about Transfiguration now, Dumbledore will always be around to help us." Daisy said as they walked down the stairs.  
  
"For Minerva, that's the half of the reason why she is happy, the other half is because she get to see Dumbledore everyday." Madeline grinned and looked at Minerva for her reaction.  
  
Minerva didn't even respond. She was too busily checking her school bag for her Muggles Studies textbook.  
  
  
  
Snape walked to the West Tower and arrived at the Owlery. He walked straight to his barn owl, avoiding stepping on the owl droppings and skeletons of mice and voles. He reached under his robes and took out a piece of parchment.  
  
He rechecked what he had written:  
  
Aidoneus,  
  
Dumbledore had become our new Transfiguration teacher and McGonagall is delighted.  
  
Sam Snape  
  
Snape smiled a little in satisfaction, rolled up the small piece of parchment and tied it to his owl's leg.  
  
"Send this to the Malfoy Manor." He said simply and the owl flew off. 


	17. Confession

Disclaimer: Aidoneus Malfoy, Don Weasley, William Potter.all Dumbledore and McGonagall's schoolmates and teachers, (except for young Madam Hooch, young Professor Sprouts, Professor Dippet and young Madam Pomfrey) belongs to me. The rest belongs to J.K Rowling.  
  
Thank you for all your reviews! : ) I'm glad that all of you like this. : )  
  
Chapter 17: Confession  
  
The news about Dumbledore being the new Transfiguration teacher soon spread throughout Hogwarts and the Gryffindors were delighted while the Slytherins were totally displeased. The Gryffindors were so pleased that they often run to Dumbledore when the Slytherins bullied them. ("Ha! I dare you to come nearer!" Joe yelled behind Dumbledore once to Snape. "Joe, I am a teacher, not a shield." Dumbledore said, grinning.)  
  
3 years passed without any major incidents, nothing serious was going on between Dumbledore and Minerva (unless you counted the times when Dumbledore had been looking at Minerva strangely since Minerva's 5th year), much to Snape's disappointment because if he had nothing to report, Malfoy will not give him 7 Galleons. Robert and Joe made it into the Gryffindor Quidditch Team as Beaters in their 3rd year and they often wrote to Jonathan Wood to get some tips from him. Minerva became a Perfect on her 5th year and she remained to be one on her 6th year.  
  
One morning, when Dumbledore was marking essays in his office, Minerva came rushing in when a book in her hands.  
  
"Albus, help me with this!" She exclaimed, slamming a book on his table.  
  
"I studied my Transfiguration, Charms, Muggle Studies, Care for Magical Creatures, Potions, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, but I still don't get my History of Magic right!" Minerva explained without even stopped for a breath. She paused to take a breath. "Can you help me?"  
  
Dumbledore smiled. "Sure, sit." He said, indicating the space beside him.  
  
"Thanks, Albus, you are the best." Minerva smiled and sat down beside him.  
  
"Which part that you doesn't understand?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"This. Circe." She said, pointing at the picture of the enchantress.  
  
"Oh, her."  
  
  
  
The study session went on for hours. By the time they were done, it was nighttime and Minerva really needed to get back into the common room. Dumbledore offered to walk her back because he didn't want any teachers to catch her walking alone in the castle at night.  
  
"Albus, do you remember what happened during my 1st year visit to Hogsmeade?" Minerva asked as they walked back to the common room.  
  
"Of course, that's the time when we had the broomstick ride, when I had my scar, when the both of us looked as if we were attacked by dragons. And that's the time when...." Dumbledore took a deep breath. "I said that I like you a lot."  
  
Minerva blushed crimson while Dumbledore grinned sheepishly. Then he stopped grinning. "Looks like the Fat Lady had gone for a bit of night- visiting to her friends." He said flatly, staring at the empty portrait where the Fat Lady used to be.  
  
"What?! Now what are we going to do?" Minerva asked frantically.  
  
Dumbledore shrugged helplessly. "We have to wait."  
  
Both of them went silent for a while. Dumbledore muttered a few words under his breath but Minerva couldn't catch them.  
  
"And now?" Minerva asked before she could stop herself.  
  
"What?" Dumbledore asked back.  
  
Minerva sighed in frustration. How could she so stupid to ask "and now?" loudly in the first place? She could have kept that question in her mind. Now she had to ask the whole question.  
  
"How do you think of me now?" Minerva asked. There, she asked THE question. She stared down on her History of Magic textbook, not letting Dumbledore to see her scarlet face.  
  
"Err...well..I..I.." Dumbledore stammered. He swallowed hard and smiled nervously. "Youtookawaymyheart." He said quickly.  
  
Minerva dropped her textbook with a THUD.  
  
"Excuse me?" She asked, not believing what she was hearing. She lifted her head to look at Dumbledore.  
  
"I realize that I am hopelessly in love with you ever since last year." Dumbledore admitted.  
  
Minerva gazed into Dumbledore's bright blue eyes. "And I realize that I am in love you ever since you graduated. I discovered that I couldn't bear to let you go...." She whispered.  
  
They gazed at each other and slowly, their lips met for a long, lingering kiss. As they kissed, Minerva felt that it was the best moment of her life.  
  
"So this is it." Minerva said softly after they broke apart.  
  
"What?" Dumbledore whispered.  
  
"The Sorting Hat. It said that my destiny is in Gryffindor. So my destiny is to be with you." She smiled lovingly.  
  
"Really? Do you know what did it say when it sorted me?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"I give up." Minerva said without thinking.  
  
"It said that I can't be in Ravenclaw but Gryffindor because I will have a great future in Gryffindor. And it is right. I have good friends like Wood, William and Don, and..." He put his arms around her tenderly. "I have you."  
  
Minerva smiled gently but then her smile faded. "Aren't you afraid that Professor Dippet will see you?"  
  
"No. I put an invisible charm and a silence charm around us just now. Now no one could see us or hear us." He grinned mischievously.  
  
"Naughty boy." Minerva scolded in fake anger.  
  
"I am not a boy, I am 21 this year." Dumbledore protested, smiling.  
  
Minerva giggled and gave Dumbledore another long kiss. When she was done, she noticed that someone else was with them.  
  
"Albus, someone is here with us." She said in panic.  
  
Dumbledore turned his head and smiled at what he saw. "The Fat Lady has come back."  
  
Minerva turned her head too and groaned. There she was, sitting in her seat in the portrait, the Fat Lady stared at their direction. But she couldn't see them, much to their relief.  
  
"Well, I guess it is goodnight then." Dumbledore smiled.  
  
Minerva just sighed in disappointment. Then Dumbledore cupped her face gently and gave her a goodnight kiss. "See you tomorrow in Transfiguration." He whispered in her ear.  
  
Minerva suddenly thought of something and stared at Dumbledore sternly. "Promise me one thing. Don't be biased to me." Minerva said seriously.  
  
"I won't. I promise. If I do, you and the rest of the Gryffindors can turn me into a pig." He smiled.  
  
Minerva laughed and kissed him. "Goodnight." She whispered and Dumbledore released her from his arms. He said some funny words that Minerva didn't understand. But judging the Fat Lady's shock expression, she figured that Dumbledore had undone the spells.  
  
"Why did you two always turn up in odd ways? Last time it was from underground and now it was nowhere!" The Fat Lady demanded.  
  
"Sorry." Dumbledore grinned. "Well, goodnight you two." He said and left.  
  
"Password?" The Fat Lady asked.  
  
"Marie Antoinette." Minerva said, picking up her book from the floor.  
  
The Fat Lady swung open and Minerva went in.  
  
  
  
When she was back in the Girl Dormitories, Minerva found that all her friends were asleep. She heard Madeline talking about Quidditch rules in her sleep. She giggled quietly and lied down on her bed. She turned her head and looked lovingly at the bouquet of roses that Dumbledore had given her in her 2nd year. The roses were still looked as if they were given to her yesterday.  
  
Minerva smiled happily. "Goodnight." She whispered, closed her eyes and drifted to sleep. 


	18. There's Something Weird About Minerva an...

Disclaimer: Aidoneus Malfoy, Don Weasley, William Potter...all Dumbledore and McGonagall's schoolmates and teachers, (except for young Madam Hooch, young Professor Sprouts, Professor Dippet and young Madam Pomfrey) belongs to me. The rest belongs to J.K Rowling.  
  
Thank you for all your reviews! : ) I'm glad that all of you like this. : )  
  
Chapter 18: There's Something Weird About Minerva and Christmas  
  
The next morning during breakfast, Madeline couldn't help to notice that there was something different about Minerva. Minerva had been smiling to every one she saw in the morning, even to the Slytherins, who responded by looking as if they had seen something disgusting.  
  
"Minerva, are you okay?" Madeline asked as she saw Minerva chewing absentmindedly on her bacon.  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"Oh forget it." Madeline said, rolling her eyes. She probably couldn't get a proper sentence out of Minerva if she continued to be like that.  
  
"We are having Transfiguration in the afternoon, isn't it wonderful?" Minerva asked after she had swallowed her food.  
  
Okay, that's proper. "Err, yeah...." She answered slowly. "But I thought that you like Transfiguration since your first year, so what's so special about today's lesson?"  
  
Minerva just sighed happily in response.  
  
"Madeline, what's wrong with Minerva?" Poppy whispered.  
  
Madeline shrugged. "I dunno. She seems all right yesterday."  
  
"Maybe she will snap out of it later." Poppy said.  
  
But Minerva didn't. Because during Herbology, Professor Rose asked her what does a rose signify, she responded by saying: "Love, which is the beautiful thing in the world." She got that question correct through, and received 5 points for Gryffindor.  
  
During Transfiguration, Madeline thought that Minerva was back to her own self again because she was listening attentively and was writing down notes seriously on Dumbledore's lessons. But then when the lesson was over, Minerva held Madeline back and whispered, "I will join you later in Muggles Studies." She gave Madeline a soft happy smile and walked happily to Dumbledore's desk.  
  
As Madeline walked out of the class, she closed the door slowly but left the door slightly ajar so that she could peep in. She needed to find out what's going on with Minerva.  
  
Poppy just walked past from her special medical class when she saw Madeline standing near the door, peeping in. "Madeline, what.." She started.  
  
Madeline just put her finger on her lips in panic. Poppy stared at her and peeped in too to see what's Madeline looking at. She saw Minerva sitting on Dumbledore's desk, talking to him while Dumbledore marking the students' essays. Then Minerva jumped down from her desk, gathering up her books. She said something to Dumbledore and Dumbledore grinned, saying something that Poppy or Madeline couldn't hear. Minerva looked at Dumbledore, smiled tenderly and walked to him. Minerva said something to him and gave him a short kiss.  
  
Poppy drew her breath sharply while Madeline gave a soft gasp. They turned their heads sharply to each other and nodded, silently agreed to they should go for their next lessons now. As Poppy went for her Herbology, she heard Madeline saying, "Ha ha, Minerva is in for it now, I am going to tease her later. And I am going to tell the rest of the Gryffindors."  
  
"Hi." Minerva greeted happily as she sat down beside Madeline during Muggle Studies.  
  
"Hi." Madeline said with a mischievous glint in her eyes.  
  
"Madeline, what's wrong?" Minerva asked suspiciously.  
  
"Nothing. What took you so long?" She asked innocently.  
  
"I needed to talk to Albus about our homework last week." She explained quickly, as if she had been practicing on that.  
  
"Uh huh." Madeline nodded. "And?"  
  
Minerva shifted uncomfortably. "And what?"  
  
Madeline grabbed a piece of parchment and scribbled on it. Then she passed it to Minerva. Minerva took it and read:  
  
I saw you kissing Dumbledore just now, admit it.  
  
Minerva drew in her breath sharply, grabbed her quill and wrote below the sentence:  
  
You spy on me and Albus?! How dare you! I won't be friends with you anymore!  
  
She shoved it back to Madeline, fuming. Madeline's eyes widened and quickly, she wrote on the back of the parchment and put it in front of Minerva. Minerva opened it unwillingly and read:  
  
Sorry! I didn't mean to! You behave like you are under a spell for a whole day so I thought that I would know what's wrong with you if I...please forgive me!!!!! (Madeline drew a quick sketch of a Bludger with sharp eyes and short hair like hers and two Beater's bats as arms begging)  
  
Minerva fought down a laughter and wrote:  
  
So I behave like I am under a spell? I don't even know that! Thanks! I guess that I am too happy over Albus! Apology accepted. By the way, does any one else know about this?  
  
She passed the parchment back to Madeline and a few moments later she got the response:  
  
Thanks! Poppy know this too, but she didn't mean to see you and Dumbledore kissing, she saw me peeping though the door and she joined me out of curiosity. Do you mind if she knows? In fact, do you mind if the rest of the Gryffindors knows?  
  
Minerva smiled and wrote:  
  
I don't mind if the rest of the Gryffindors know about this. But I do mind if the Slytherins know about this. They will tell the Headmaster, or worse, the whole school!  
  
Madeline took back the parchment and read. She then wrote:  
  
Don't worry; your secret is safe with us. I swore on my Silver Arrow, Poppy will swear on her healing potion, Georgia will swear on her Rare Muggle Plants book, Daisy will swear on her brother's name, Robert and Joe will swear on their Beater bats..  
  
Minerva read Madeline's words and smiled at Madeline. Madeline smiled back.  
  
Soon, all the Gryffindors knew about Dumbledore and Minerva, and they were not surprised. They knew that those two would become a couple eventually. And all of them swore that they wouldn't tell their friends from Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin (yeah right, as if the Gryffindors have friends from Slytherin)  
  
A few months passed and soon it was Christmas. Minerva and her 6th year friends all stayed in Hogwarts for Christmas for two reasons: The main reason was because they had organized a Christmas party and they planned to have it in the common room. The other reason was because Madeline and the others discovered that Snape was not going home for Christmas either. They decided to stay in case Snape was up to something nasty.  
"All right, on the count of three," Dumbledore said during the party in the common room. "1, 2, 3..."  
  
"CHEERS! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!" The Gryffindors yelled and CLUNK went their glasses of pumpkin juice, Butterbeer, hot chocolate, sherry, gillywater..you name it.  
  
"Thanks for inviting me." Dumbledore said, putting his arm around Minerva's shoulders.  
  
"Don't mention it. By the way, you owe us presents." Robert grinned.  
  
Dumbledore smiled and snapped his fingers. Immediately, a gift appeared on every student's lap. Well, except for Minerva's.  
  
"Hey, where's Minerva's Christmas gift?" Madeline asked, and then she narrowed her eyes. "Don't tell us that you have forgotten about hers."  
  
"Are you kidding? If he dares to forget about Minerva's gift, Minerva will dump him, right Minerva?" Poppy asked.  
  
"Right." Minerva nodded and giggled when she heard Dumbledore gasped in horror.  
  
"Of course I had Minerva's gift ready. But not now, I will give her later." Dumbledore said quickly.  
  
"Good, because if you dare to hurt her feelings, we will turn you into a pig and grab her away from you." Madeline said and the rest of the Gryffindors nodded in agreement. "We mean it." She added.  
  
"Oh come on, give him a break." Minerva said, smiling.  
  
"Yes, your Highness, we won't tease your beloved husband any more." Joe grinned.  
  
Minerva blushed furiously. "He is not my husband." She protested.  
  
"Yet." Madeline and Poppy said in unison.  
  
When the party was over, the Gryffindors cleaned up the mess that they had made and went to bed. Minerva and Dumbledore, however, stayed behind in the common room. ("I bet they want to have some time to themselves." Madeline said to Poppy as they went up the stairs.)  
  
Minerva stood by the glass window, watching the snow fell through the sky silently. She sighed. After next year, she won't be standing here anymore.  
  
Dumbledore wrapped his arms around Minerva's waist and rested his head on her shoulder. "The weather is chilly, isn't it?"  
  
"It is." Minerva agreed and then said, "But I don't feel chilly at all. Your embrace is warm enough for me."  
  
Dumbledore just smiled softly. He released Minerva and gave her a small beautifully wrapped box.  
  
"Merry Christmas." He whispered.  
  
"Thank you." Minerva smiled. "Can I open it?"  
  
"Sure, see if you like it." Dumbledore said with an eager note in his voice.  
  
Minerva unwrapped the present, looked in and gasped. "Oh my goodness..." She reached in and took out a silver necklace with a crystal-clear heart made of glass. "It's so beautiful, where did you get it?"  
  
"Well, I drew this necklace on a piece of parchment and I transfigured the drawing into a real thing. Does it look too simple?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"No, in fact, I love it. How long does it take you to do this?" Minerva asked as she put on the necklace.  
  
"Not long, just a few minutes of drawing and a few seconds of the transfiguration." Dumbledore grinned, crossing his fingers behind his back. Actually, he spent almost 30 minutes for drawing that necklace. He may be a skillful wizard, but that doesn't mean that he is good at drawing too.  
  
"Thank you." Minerva said again. She admired the heart and gave Dumbledore a short sweet kiss on his cheek.  
  
Dumbledore just slipped his arms around her and held her close. Minerva smiled happily and put her arms around Dumbledore's waist. "I love you, Albus." She whispered.  
  
"So do I." He whispered and lifted her head up gently. Minerva and Dumbledore gazed into each other's eyes lovingly and closed their eyes for a passionate kiss.  
  
"Nothing will tear us apart. Nothing." Minerva thought happily. 


	19. The Proposal

Disclaimer: Aidoneus Malfoy, Don Weasley, William Potter...all Dumbledore and McGonagall's schoolmates and teachers, (except for young Madam Hooch, young Professor Sprouts, Professor Dippet and young Madam Pomfrey) belongs to me. The rest belongs to J.K Rowling.  
  
Thank you for all your reviews! : ) I'm glad that all of you like this. : )  
  
Chapter 19: Proposal  
  
"May I have your attention please?" Professor Dippet called out over the noise of the students in the Great Hall one morning.  
  
The Headmaster stood up and cleared his throat. "Due to many requests from the students, I decided to hold a Valentine's Day ball this year."  
  
The Great Hall began to fill with loud applause and cheers immediately.  
  
"What? How can the Headmaster do this?!" Madeline exclaimed.  
  
The Headmaster held up his hand and the Great Hall went silent quickly. "The date is, of course, 14 0f Feb. The time is 8pm. Students may wear dress robes or Muggle costumes. Teachers and students are required to have a dance partner. That will be all. If you have anymore inquiries, ask Professor Dippet for further details." The Headmaster sat down.  
  
"This is totally stupid. Where can I find a dance partner?" Madeline scowled as she poked her fork into her peas.  
  
Joe grinned. "Well..."  
  
Madeline took out her wand and pointed it at Joe. "Don't you dare to suggest a broomstick to be my dance partner like what William did." She threatened, waving it in front of him.  
  
"You have no sense of humor." Joe grumbled and turned his attention back to his sausages.  
  
"At least Minerva don't have to worry about finding a dance partner." Poppy said, nodding slightly at Dumbledore's direction.  
  
Minerva blushed, smiled shyly and gazed at her necklace lovingly.  
  
"Minerva, Minerva? Great, she has lost her senses." Madeline groaned.  
Poppy was right; Minerva didn't have to worry about finding a dance partner for Dumbledore asked her to go to the ball with him after Transfiguration.  
  
"Why should I say no?" Minerva asked sweetly and leaned forward to give her lover a peck on his lips.  
  
***  
  
During the ball, after Dumbledore and Minerva finished their fourth dance (the Headmaster didn't mind Dumbledore dancing with a 6th year because he thought that Dumbledore was just being too kind to turn Minerva down for being her dance partner) Dumbledore led Minerva out of the Great Hall and to the garden near the lake.  
  
"The teachers have done very well on the decorations." Minerva said in awe, as she bent down and admired the bright yellow fairy lights on the dark green bushes. She stood up and squeezed Dumbledore's hand tightly. "This is so romantic."  
  
Dumbledore didn't respond.  
  
"Albus? Albus?" Minerva asked, waving her hand in front of Dumbledore's face.  
  
"Minerva, close your eyes." Dumbledore said seriously.  
  
Minerva frowned slightly.  
  
"Please." Dumbledore added quickly.  
  
Minerva closed her eyes.  
  
"All right, open them." She heard Dumbledore saying.  
  
She opened them and saw Dumbledore with one knee on the grass and his hands holding on to hers softly. He gazed up at her lovingly.  
  
"Minerva, will you marry me after your graduation?"  
  
"What?" Minerva asked in shock.  
  
"I have been thinking about it a long time."  
  
"I...I...Albus, I don't know..." Minerva said, rubbing her temple as if it hurts. "Just get up first!"  
  
"Not unless you give me your reply." Dumbledore said stubbornly.  
  
"You are so stubborn." "Not as stubborn as you."  
  
"I will not answer unless you get up." Minerva said and Dumbledore got up in a flash.  
  
"Minerva, I really love you." Dumbledore said softly and held Minerva close.  
  
"So do I." Minerva whispered. "And my parents have already seriously considered you as one of my family."  
  
Dumbledore stared at Minerva in amazement. "They do? But they have met me once and that is 5 years ago."  
  
"Albus Dumbledore, do you know that there's such a thing called letter?" Minerva asked. "And besides, they know that you are the youngest Transfiguration teacher, the top scholar and star student of Hogwarts from the Daily Prophet. They know that you are the nicest boy among the Gryffindor boys and ..."  
  
"Am I really that good?" Dumbledore asked, grinning.  
  
"You are to me and I am happy to marry you after my graduation." Minerva said quietly.  
  
Dumbledore stopped grinning. "What?" He asked, couldn't believe what he had heard.  
  
"I do." Minerva said shortly.  
  
Dumbledore's mouth dropped open. "I don't know what to say.."  
  
"Don't say anything then." Minerva smiled and sealed Dumbledore's lips with a kiss.  
  
***  
  
"The ball is absolutely boring." Madeline grumbled in the next morning, before she took a bite from her toast. After she had swallowed it, she searched around for Minerva. "Where's Minerva?"  
  
"I don't know. Maybe we should ask Dumbledore." Poppy said, taking a pumpkin tart from the table.  
  
"Later. If Minerva doesn't come for Potions." Madeline said. "Oh, there she is. Minerva, over here!" She called and waved.  
  
"Good morning." Minerva greeted happily and sat down between Madeline and Poppy.  
  
"Where did you go?" Daisy asked.  
  
"I was in the Owlery, sending an owl to my parents. I'm starving." She said and reached hungrily for a small plate of boiled potatoes with her left hand.  
  
"AH!" Madeline exclaimed loudly and all the students turned to look at her.  
  
Joe spat out his pumpkin juice in shock while Robert nearly choked on his bacon. "Will you please don't do that during meal times?" Joe said angrily, wiping his mouth with a napkin. Robert coughed a little and swallowed his food.  
  
"Minerva, what's that on your middle finger?" Madeline whispered as Minerva sat down.  
  
All of Minerva's classmates turned their attention on Minerva's middle finger and stared in awe at the sparkling diamond ring.  
  
"A ring." Minerva said simply.  
  
"The exact answer." Poppy said.  
  
"An engagement ring. I am to be married to Albus after my graduation." Minerva smiled shyly.  
  
Madeline had her jaws dropped. "I can't believe it!" She said finally. "I am so happy for you, congratulations!" She held out her hand and Minerva shook it.  
  
"Better not let the Slytherins to know anything about this." Poppy whispered. "If they asked about the ring, tell them that it is from your...err.."  
  
"Hey lions." A voice behind Minerva said.  
  
Minerva and her friends turned around.  
  
"What do you want, Snape?" Madeline asked darkly.  
  
"Nothing, just that I want to tell you that the Potions Master is planning to give us a small test today. Better study for it soon." Snape smirked at the horrified look on Daisy's face and stared at Minerva's ring with interest.  
  
Minerva shifted uncomfortably under Snape's stare. "Ok, you have delivered your message, now go back to your snake pit." She said coldly, trying to keep her voice calm.  
  
Snape smiled coldly and went back to the Slytherin's table.  
  
"He's lying, the Potion Master would have told us if there's a test." Madeline hissed.  
  
"Do you think that he have heard us?" Poppy whispered.  
  
"I don't know..." Minerva said and twirled her ring around her finger nervously.  
  
****  
  
Snape smiled evilly at the Gryffindors' direction and began to plan for what he was going to write for his letter to Malfoy.  
  
***  
  
Knock. Knock.  
  
Aidoneus Malfoy opened his eyes and groaned. Is it morning already?  
  
Knock. Knock. Knock.  
  
Malfoy groaned in frustration and covered his head with his pillow.  
  
Knock. Knock.  
  
"All right, all right!" Malfoy yelled, threw off his pillow and marched towards the window. He yanked away the curtains and saw Snape's owl. "Hey, where have you been all these years?" He asked and opened the window to let the owl in. The owl flew in, dropped the letter on Malfoy's hand and sat on the windowsill.  
  
Malfoy opened the envelope and read:  
Minerva McGonagall is to be married to Albus Dumbledore after her graduation.  
  
"Ha! This is perfect! Wait a minute." Malfoy said, picking his robes on the floor, reached in and took out 8 Galleons. He rushed to his bedside table, pulled out the drawer and took out an envelope, a quill and a small piece of parchment.  
  
He wrote:  
  
This is what I have been waiting for! Thanks and no need to report to me anymore.  
  
He put in the 7 Galleons into the envelope, "7 Galleons for the information." He put 1 more Galleon in. "I Galleon for tip."  
  
He sealed the envelope and gave it to Sam's owl. "Here, bring this to your master."  
  
After the owl had flown off, Malfoy read the letter again. He smiled. All he had to do now was to find a pretty girl. 


	20. A Big Misunderstanding

Disclaimer: Aidoneus Malfoy, Don Weasley, William Potter...all Dumbledore and McGonagall's schoolmates and teachers, (except for young Madam Hooch, young Professor Sprouts, Professor Dippet and young Madam Pomfrey) belongs to me. The rest belongs to J.K Rowling.  
  
Thank you for all your reviews! : ) I'm glad that all of you like this. : )  
  
Chapter 20: A Big Misunderstanding  
  
A few weeks later.  
  
"Hey Minerva, did you think you will pass your Transfiguration test?" Daisy asked during one morning at breakfast.  
  
"Of course she will, her fiancé is the Transfiguration teacher himself." Madeline grinned. "I bet Dumbledore will pass her."  
  
"No way, that test is totally inhuman. If he dared to pass me just because I am his fiancée, I will break off the engagement." Minerva said seriously. "Besides, I have not seen him lately, he claims that he is too busy.."  
  
Madeline gasped. "No way!"  
  
Minerva smiled. "Gotcha."  
  
Robert and Joe laughed as loudly as possible and Madeline yelled embarrassedly, "Shut up and eat your breakfast!"  
  
Robert and Joe shut their mouths, trying not to laugh.  
  
"But the last part is true, I really have not seen much of him lately.." Minerva said truthfully.  
  
Robert looked up and saw a hundreds of owls streaming into the Great Hall. "All right! The mail's here!"  
  
Robert and Joe got a letter each and Minerva's owl dropped a thick and heavy envelope onto her scrambled eggs.  
  
"Yuck!" was what Minerva could say.  
  
"Better train your owl a bit more." Poppy said as she watched Minerva picked up the letter in disgust.  
  
"Look, Wood sent us the same letter." Joe said as he showed his and Robert's letters to Daisy.  
  
"Maybe because both of you are Beaters and he thought of giving you two the same tips." Daisy said.  
  
"Why don't he just send one letter to us then? That will save him all the trouble to write another one." Robert asked.  
  
"In case one of you loses your letter." Daisy said simply.  
  
"Minerva, who sent you that letter?" Madeline asked as she watched Minerva peeled open the sticky, gooey envelope carefully with her fingers.  
  
"I don't know, there's no name." Minerva said, taking out the stack of things that was stuffed into the envelope. She raised her eyebrows. Photographs? She flipped through the photographs and frowned. She went ghastly pale as she flipped through the photographs once more with her trembling hands. She turned the photographs around and went paler.  
  
"Minerva?" Madeline asked, sensing that something was wrong.  
  
Minerva didn't respond. She clutched one of the photographs tightly, stood up suddenly from her seat, glared at the teachers' table and stormed off.  
  
"MINERVA! MINERVA! WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!" Madeline cried and looked at the pile of photographs that Minerva had left on the table. She picked them up, flipped through and drew her breath sharply at them.  
  
"Hey, what's going on?" Robert asked in bewilderment.  
  
Madeline stood up angrily with the photographs in her hand. "YOU MALES ARE REALLY..." She started yelling and all heads turned around to look at her.  
  
"Madeline, please! Calm down!" Poppy screamed as she tried to get Madeline to sit down.  
  
Madeline sat down, fuming.  
  
"What? What did we do?" Joe asked.  
  
"Look. Look at this!" Madeline said furiously and slammed the photographs down on the table.  
  
The Gryffindors leaned forward to see and gasped in horror.  
  
"I don't believe this!" "No, it can't be!"  
  
"That's not his kind of behavior!"  
  
"But there's the evidence!"  
  
Madeline frowned, sighed in frustration and clutched her head as if it hurts. She continued to stare at the photographs of Albus Dumbledore kissing a pretty stranger with dark hair. One of the photographs had its picture facedown and on the back, it said, "You are too young to be his wife. He is engaged to me so why don't you just run off and play with your toys?"  
  
***  
  
Minerva banged on the door at Dumbledore's bedroom loudly. "ALBUS DUMBLEDORE! OPEN UP!"  
  
The door swung open and Dumbledore stood there in his usual robes. "Hi Min...." He started but before he could finish, Minerva pushed him roughly into his bedroom and slammed the door shut.  
  
"Minerva, what...." Dumbledore started again.  
  
"What. Is. This?" She asked coldly, showing Dumbledore the picture.  
  
Dumbledore leaned forward and looked at the photograph closely. He turned pale and took a nervous step backward. "I...I..." He threw up his hands. "I don't know." He said quietly.  
  
"You don't know?" Minerva asked angrily. "Who is this then? Your brother?" She hissed.  
  
"No! Minerva, I didn't do anything like this! Never!" Dumbledore said frantically.  
  
Minerva just frowned deeply. "I thought that I am your fiancée." She choked.  
  
"You are!"  
  
"NO! You have another fiancée behind my back!" Minerva screamed and threw the photograph on the floor.  
  
"Minerva, Minerva! Please!" Dumbledore pleaded, trying to hold Minerva's hand. Minerva shook his hand away angrily. "I will not do anything like this to you. Never. Don't you know me? I will not go around flirting or kissing another girl behind your back." Minerva gazed into his blue eyes sadly. "Trust me. I will never do something like that. Someone is playing a joke on us." Minerva thought deeply, smiled a little and just wanted to hold Dumbledore's hand when the door flew open and the woman in the picture came in, yelling, "ALBUS!" She flung her arms around Dumbledore's neck and kissed him. Dumbledore went red and looked as confused as Minerva. "Miss, who..."  
  
"Albus, why didn't you come and look for me last night? You promised me last week!" The woman said in a sexy tone.  
  
"I..I.." Dumbledore said in shock.  
  
"Albus, who is this?" Minerva asked with her voice trembled.  
  
"Hm?" The woman turned to look at Minerva and frowned. "Albus, what is this kid doing here?"  
  
"Minerva! This is not what you think!" Dumbledore said, trying to get away from the woman's clutch.  
  
Minerva shook her head and yanked her ring off her finger. "I don't want to listen!" She screamed and threw the ring to the floor. "The wedding is off and I don't want to see you again!" She threw open the door and ran off.  
  
"MINERVA! MINERVA! HEY, LET GO OF ME!" Dumbledore yelled and suddenly the woman let him go. "What the.."  
  
"Sorry, I am just a woman hired by Mr. Aidoneus Malfoy. He told me to do this and I will have 20 Galleons."  
  
Her words struck Dumbledore like thunder. "MALFOY?!" He roared.  
  
The woman nodded. "I'm sorry. Now if you don't mind, I shall take my leave." She walked to the door, paused and picked the ring up. "Maybe it is not too late to get her back." She gave it to Dumbledore and left.  
  
Dumbledore slumped down on his chair and fire blazed in his eyes. "DAMN YOU MALFOY!!!!" He yelled and shoved his things off his desk.  
  
CRASH  
  
He breathed heavily and sat back on his chair. No, Minerva was too angry to listen now. Maybe he would wait until tomorrow when she was calmer.  
  
***  
  
Minerva came out of the Headmaster's office with a letter clutched in her hand. She walked back to the common room slowly, gave her password to the Fat Lady ("Queen Elizabeth") and went in. Her eyes swept across the empty Gryffindor common room sadly, sighed and went back to the Girls' Dormitories.  
  
She put the letter down on her bedside table, took out her school trunk and began to pack her robes and books slowly. When she was done, she looked around to see if she had left out anything. She glared at the roses, yanked the necklace off her neck and lay it on the table. No way was she going to take those. Then she walked to the window and saw Madeline and her friends trying to be polite with Hippogriffs.  
  
"Goodbye." She whispered.  
  
She closed her trunk and took a last look at the room. Then she lifted her trunk and left the room.  
  
Wherever she's going, she's not going to come back to Hogwarts anymore. 


	21. Hogwarts Again

Disclaimer: Madam Hooch, Professor Sprouts, Professor Dippet, Madam Pomfrey, Minerva and Albus belong to J.K Rowling. The teachers in Minerva's school belong to me.  
  
Thank you for all your reviews! : ) I'm glad that all of you like this. : )  
  
Chapter 21: Hogwarts Again  
  
After she left Hogwarts, Minerva studied in another wizarding school and she had lost contract from all her friends since. Her friends' owls managed to find her but when she got her letters from her friends, she either burned them or left them alone, despite the desire of reading them. She then taught Transfigurations in her new school and determined not to let her past to haunt her.  
  
Many decades later..  
  
"Professor McGonagall?"  
  
Professor McGonagall looked up from her students' Transfiguration essays. The 16-year-old Minerva had aged into the old Professor McGonagall. Her grey hair is tied into a tight, no-nonsense bun and her are framed with square glasses.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
Professor Dallas, the Charms teacher, walked into her office. "Professor McKay will like to see you in his office."  
  
Professor McGonagall looked at him seriously. "Why?"  
  
"You will know when you get there." Professor Dallas said and smiled at her sadly.  
  
Professor McGonagall frowned. What on earth had she done? She put down her quill and walked out of her office.  
  
***  
  
"You send for me, Professor McKay?" Professor McGonagall asked a few moments later.  
  
The Headmaster took off his glasses and smiled. "Sit down."  
  
Professor McGonagall sat down on the wooden chair.  
  
"I send for you for an important matter." Professor McKay said seriously. "A school needs a Transfiguration teacher and a Deputy Headmaster or Headmistress. The Headmaster asked me if I have somebody in mind so I decide to post you there because I think you are the most suitable person for the job."  
  
Professor McGonagall smiled. "Thank you for thinking so highly of me. What school is it, may I ask?"  
  
Professor McKay looked into his stack of parchment. "Hogwarts."  
  
Professor McGonagall's smile faded. "Excuse me, perhaps I have heard you wrongly, I thought you say Hogwarts." She said, praying that she did hear him wrongly.  
  
"No, you heard me correctly, Professor. The Headmaster there needs one desperately because the last Transfiguration teacher resigned just 2 weeks before the school term starts."  
  
"Headmaster... who is the Headmaster in Hogwarts now?" Professor McGonagall asked slowly.  
  
Professor McKay smiled proudly. "Why, the most powerful wizard in the wizarding world, Albus Dumbledore."  
  
"NO! I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK!" A voice in Professor McGonagall's head screamed.  
  
"You will love it there, Hogwarts is the best school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world." Professor McKay took out his inkbottle, quill and parchment from his drawer. "Now if you don't mind, I will like to write to Dumbledore that you are going."  
  
Professor McGonagall was too shock to reply.  
  
***  
  
"Hogwarts again." Professor McGonagall thought bitterly as she stared at the entrance of Hogwarts. She took a deep breath and held her trunk firmly. "Get a grip, Minerva. You are here for teaching." She told herself and went in.  
  
She walked past the empty Great Hall and stared into it sadly. She still remembers the times when she and Dumbledore spent so much time chatting during meal times. She tore her gaze away from it and continued walking. After a few minutes of walking, she frowned. Where is Professor Dumbledore's office? Yes, she had been to the Headmaster's office once but that was decades ago, she couldn't remember now.  
  
"Maybe I should ask around." She thought.  
  
But the school was empty; the students were away for the summer holidays.  
  
"Maybe there are teachers in the staff room who I can ask." Minerva said to herself as she made her way to the staff room.  
  
When she arrived at the corridor outside the staff room, she saw a woman with short grey hair coming out of the staff room. "Excuse me," Professor McGonagall called out as she ran to the woman. "Can you please tell me where's the Headmaster office?"  
  
The woman turned and looked at her with her sharp yellow eyes.  
  
"Madeline?" Professor McGonagall gasped.  
  
"Do I know you? You look....familiar." The woman said slowly.  
  
"Madeline, it's me, Minerva!" Professor McGonagall said excitedly.  
  
"Minerva?!" Madeline asked and Professor McGonagall nodded. "Oh, it's you!" She exclaimed and hugged Professor McGonagall as tightly as she could. "I miss you! My," She let go of Professor McGonagall and looked at her closely. "You have changed a lot after so many years."  
  
"And you didn't change a bit." Professor McGonagall said, smiling.  
  
"Yeah, the only thing that had changed is my address. I am now Madam Hooch, the flying instructor. Poppy has become our school nurse and Georgia has become our school Herbology teacher. By the way, why do you want to look for Dumbledore's office?" Madam Hooch asked and gasped excitedly. "Are you planning to make up with him?"  
  
"Don't get me wrong, Madeline. I am here for official business. I am going to be the Transfiguration teacher here." Professor McGonagall said, paused for a while. "And the Deputy Headmistress."  
  
"Oh good, we can work in the same place now. You can't imagine who are studying here!" Madam Hooch said excitedly as she led Professor McGonagall to Professor Dumbledore's office.  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Our classmates' descendants! There's one Lucius Malfoy, who is as annoying as Aidoneus Malfoy, one James Potter, who is a great Chaser of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, one Arthur Weasley, but he has graduated. One Sirius Black, one Remus Lupin..." Madam Hooch counted off her fingers. "And oh yes! And one Severus Snape, who has long greasy hair."  
  
They walked up the stone steps, through the oak front doors, up the marble staircase, towards the second floor and stopped at the stone gargoyle standing halfway along an empty corridor. "Here we are. Droobles Best Blowing Gum."  
  
"What?"  
  
"That's the password." Madam Hooch said as the gargoyle shifted aside to reveal a gap in the walls and a spiral stone staircase in it. "The office is upstairs....Minerva, Dumbledore misses you."  
  
"Tell him to tell that to someone else." Professor McGonagall said bitterly.  
  
"But he loves you deeply...."  
  
Professor McGonagall held up her hand.  
  
"But.."  
  
Professor McGonagall covered her ears.  
  
Madam Hooch shut up and Professor McGonagall put down her hands. "Minerva.."  
  
"If you talk about the past romance between Professor Dumbledore and me again, you can forget about our friendship." Professor McGonagall said coldly.  
  
Madam Hooch closed her mouth, swallowed and started, "All right. See you next time then, I am going to tell Georgia and Poppy that you are here." Madam Hooch smiled and walked away.  
  
Professor McGonagall stared at the staircase for a while and stepped onto the foot of it. The staircase moved slowly upwards and took her up to a polished oak door with a brass doorknocker. She knocked.  
  
KNOCK, KNOCK  
  
No respond.  
  
She tried again. Still no respond. She tried the door and it was opened immediately. She let herself in and stared in awe at the very beautiful, circular but empty room. Pictures of past Headmasters and Headmistresses were hanged on the wall. All of them looked at her curiously as she looked around and spotted the Sorting Hat sitting on a stool beside Professor Dumbledore's desk.  
  
"So, you are back, Miss McGonagall?" The Sorting Hat asked.  
  
Professor McGonagall nodded. "Why don't you just put me into Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff or even Slytherin in the first place?"  
  
"I know what am I doing." The Hat said and fell silent.  
  
Professor McGonagall heard a noise and turned around. She spotted a phoenix standing on his golden perch beside the door. The phoenix looked at her with his beady black eyes and shook his crimson feathers. "Where is your master?" She asked the bird softly.  
  
"Right here." A voice sounded out somewhere upstairs.  
  
Professor McGonagall looked up and stared. Professor Dumbledore has aged too course. He was still as tall and thin as before, his silver hair and beard were long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak which swept the ground and high-heeled, buckled boots. His blue eyes were light, bright and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was long and crooked. Professor McGonagall stared in amazement; Dumbledore had changed a lot after all these years.  
  
"Ah, I see a visitor. Who are you may I ask?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"I am Professor McGonagall. I believe that Professor McKay had sent you a letter about me."  
  
"I had received it. It's a pleasure to have you here, Minerva."  
  
"That's Professor McGonagall to you, Professor Dumbledore." Professor McGonagall snapped.  
  
Professor Dumbledore stared at her in shock while Professor McGonagall stared back coldly. "And I am here for teaching, not for personal affairs." She added.  
  
Professor Dumbledore sighed. "Very well, Professor McGonagall. You may start your work when school starts in September 1st. Do you have any objection?"  
  
"No. But I have one request."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"While I am here in Hogwarts, I will discuss with you about nothing except school matters. So can we just pretend that we don't know each other until now?" She asked.  
  
"That's cruel, Min...I mean, Professor McGonagall."  
  
"Not as cruel as what you had done to me a few decades ago." She said in a chilly tone.  
  
"That's just a misunderstanding.." Professor Dumbledore started.  
  
"You call kissing another girl behind my back a misunderstanding?!" Professor McGonagall interrupted.  
  
Professor Dumbledore went silent. Professor McGonagall glared at him. "Now, if there's nothing else, I shall take my leave." She said and marched out of the office.  
  
The moment she stepped out of the staircase, Professor McGonagall's stern look disappeared and she began to sob. 


	22. Back Together

Disclaimer: Madam Hooch, Professor Sprouts, Professor Dippet, Madam Pomfrey, Minerva and Albus belong to J.K Rowling. The teachers in Minerva's school belong to me.  
  
Thank you for all your reviews! : ) I'm glad that all of you like this. : ) * sigh*  
  
Chapter 22: Back Together  
  
Professor McGonagall awoke with tears in her eyes. That incident happened so many years ago and yet her heart still hurts badly. She sticks to her words and she only talks to Dumbledore about school matters.  
  
She didn't sit beside him during Quidditch matches.  
  
She didn't dance with him during the Yule Ball either.  
  
She didn't want have anything to do with him beside business.  
  
"I will never forgive Dumbledore" She thought. "Never."  
  
Suddenly she didn't feel drowsy anymore so she decided to go for a glass of warm milk.  
  
***  
  
As she walked down the corridor, Professor McGonagall heard giggling and whispering from around the corner. She narrowed her eyes. Who dare to get out of their beds at 3 am in the morning? She transformed herself into a tabby cat and walked silently around the corner. What she had seen gave a terrible shock. Hermione Granger was there with Harry Potter. She had her back against the wall and Harry was kissing her softly. When he stopped, both of them put their arms around each other and gazed at each other lovingly  
  
"Thank you for the ride on your Firebolt, it's so fascinating to see stars while riding on a broomstick." Hermione whispered.  
  
"We can do that tomorrow again if you like." Harry responded softly.  
  
Hermione smiled sweetly and kissed The Boy Who Lived lightly on his lips. She then frowned. "We better get back to the Gryffindor Common Room before anyone catches us, especially Professor McGonagall, she will have a fit if she sees us behaving like this."  
  
"I don't think she will still be awake." Harry grinned.  
  
"Oh really? I will show you." Professor McGonagall thought angrily but then she stopped herself from transforming back to human form.  
  
"Why should you be angry? You and Albus did something like that too." She thought sadly.  
  
"I still think we should go back." Hermione said firmly. Harry gave his charming smile and they went to the direction of the Gryffindor Common Room, holding hands.  
  
Once they were gone, Professor McGonagall transformed back to herself. She didn't feel like having a glass of warm milk right now, so she decided to have a stroll on the courtyard. A night walk under the stars seemed to be a good idea.  
  
***  
  
Professor Dumbledore sat up from his bed and sighed. He just had this dream about his youth, his first love Minerva and how Aidoneus broke them up. He frowned a little. If it wasn't for Malfoy... He sighed again, sadly this time. It's too late. Minerva will not listen to him. "If only I explain it to her on the day itself." He mumbled, looked out at the window and gazed at the stars. "Maybe I should sit under the stars for a while. That will cheer me up." He said thoughtfully and got out of his warm bed.  
  
***  
  
When she arrived at the courtyard, Professor McGonagall noticed that someone was sitting on the bench, staring up at the brightly stars. She leaned forward slightly and gasped softly. Albus Dumbledore? Great, he was not the one that she wishes to see right now.  
  
Professor Dumbledore heard the gasp and turned around. "A very early good morning to you." He paused for a while. "Professor."  
  
Professor McGonagall stared at him for a while and nodded politely. "Good morning to you too." She walked to him slowly. "What makes you to wake up at 3am in the morning?"  
  
"I just have a dream that upsets me so I decide to look at the stars to cheer myself up."  
  
"What's the dream about?" Professor McGonagall asked politely. She was standing near him but didn't sit down.  
  
"Us. When we were studying in Hogwarts and the time when I was the new Transfiguration teacher. What about you?"  
  
Professor McGonagall was silent. "Err, I was having a stroll and since I have finished my small stroll, I think I should go back to my room now...." She said and tried to escape to the castle before Dumbledore could say anything.  
  
But she couldn't. Because Dumbledore caught hold of her hand before she could move. "Minerva, please sit down and listen to my explanation about the incident." He said firmly. "You know what incident I am talking about."  
  
"Oh no, not that." Professor McGonagall said and began to weep. "Why do you have to mention that? Do you know how hard it is to forget that horrible scene? You, kissing another girl right in front of me.."  
  
"That is a misunderstanding." Dumbledore said. "Minerva, please. Let me explain."  
  
Professor McGonagall sighed and sat down beside him. "All right, Albus Dumbledore, who is that woman in that photograph?"  
  
"I don't know her at all. Malfoy wanted to break us up so he sent her to me."  
  
Professor McGonagall's mouth dropped open. "Malfoy? As in Aidoneus Malfoy?"  
  
Dumbledore nodded slightly and Professor McGonagall frowned deeply. "And that photograph, how do you explain about that?"  
  
Dumbledore searched in his robes and took out a stack of photographs. "Remember these? I have been keeping these so that I can explain them to you when I see you."  
  
Professor McGonagall swallowed and nodded. Dumbledore put it down, took out his wand and pointed it at them.  
  
"Dumbledore, what..." Professor McGonagall started.  
  
"Revealio." Dumbledore said and the picture of him and the woman in the photographs transformed into another man and woman.  
  
"Professor Jupiter and Professor Adara!" Professor McGonagall gasped.  
  
Dumbledore picked up a photograph of Professor Jupiter kissing Professor Adara and turned it over. "See the date?"  
  
"13 of August. Isn't that the date when the two professors are married?" Professor McGonagall asked.  
  
Dumbledore nodded. "Malfoy probably took these photos on their wedding day. Years later, when he knew that I was getting married, he just simply found a pretty girl, took her pictures, got my pictures from my friends and shifted the girl's and my pictures into these. It's pretty clever. Unfortunately, I found out about this only the next day after you had left Hogwarts." He said and turned another photograph over to reveal the words that Minerva had read during breakfast on the day she left Hogwarts. "He even added these words to make it even more real." He ended.  
  
"How did he find out that we are getting married?" Professor McGonagall asked.  
  
"Sam Snape. He had been sending mails to Malfoy about us." Dumbledore said. "Malfoy had confessed everything when I banged into his manor the next day after you had left."  
  
Professor McGonagall scowled. "Those snakes." She thought angrily.  
  
"Minerva, please. I am not lying. I still love you after all these years." Dumbledore whispered.  
  
Professor McGonagall stared at Dumbledore. Dumbledore mumbled something and immediately, three things appeared on his hands. Professor McGonagall realized what they were and gasped. They are a bouquet of roses, a necklace and a diamond ring.  
  
"When Madeline gave me the roses and the necklace, I didn't throw them away because they used to belong to you." He said softly.  
  
Professor McGonagall stared at the beautiful, fresh-looking roses and Dumbledore held her hand. "Minerva, please believe me."  
  
Professor McGonagall thought deeply, looked into Dumbledore's eyes and smiled, meaning that she believed him. Dumbledore smiled back and said, "Minerva, will you give me the honor to propose to you again?"  
  
Professor McGonagall nodded shyly and stood up. Dumbledore grinned, kneeled down on one knee and asked THE question: "Minerva, will you marry me?"  
  
"Yes, I am glad to be your wife." Professor McGonagall whispered, helped Dumbledore up and sat with him on the bench. Dumbledore helped Professor McGonagall to put on her ring and they gazed each other lovingly.  
  
***  
  
Madam Hooch looked delightfully at the professors, who are now kissing each other deeply, from upstairs and clapped her hands happily.  
  
"Wow, it actually works." She said to the person behind her.  
  
"I told you it would work. I have been thinking of a way to make amends since you told me about what my ancestor had done to Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall a few weeks ago. Oh well, at least that potion made up his mistakes. Did it?" Professor Snape asked.  
  
"It sure did, you made the potion that would made them to dream of their past, then poured the potion into their goblets when they were not looking, then Voila! They dreamed about their past and it brought them together again. Not bad." Madam Hooch said thoughtfully. "Sam Snape broke them up and you brought them back to together."  
  
"At least that's what I can do for thanking Dumbledore for trusting me." Professor Snape said casually.  
  
"You know, Severus, you are not so bad after all." Madam Hooch grinned.  
  
"Whatever." Snape said with his cheeks pink.  
  
* The End * 


End file.
